Neighborhood 1: Clef
by Kaiser Wilhelm
Summary: Ch5 The other Shikamaru captured Gaara's lips in a tauntingly loving kiss. It lasted only a few seconds before the other Shikamaru whispered, "Bye-bye." Then a deep, pitch-black chasm appeared under the real Shikamaru's feet, and he was falling.
1. An Ordinary Night

**So, attempt #2, yeah? I thought it would be much easier to start this story towards the begin and explain background information unbearably slowly through flashbacks...just like a REAL anime. FYI, note that I wrote most of this while high on Remaron (it's a sleeping pill) so expect the unexpected. I also decided to try some weird artistic things, you know, experiment. And what's an artist without her critics. Please, let me know if something annoys the hell out of you. There's nothing like a good rant, yeah! Read, review if you'd like, but most of all, enjoy yourself. What's life without a little fun?**

**Disclaimer: ****Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounc'd it to you, trippingly on the tongue, but if you mouth it, as many of our players do, I had as lief the town-crier spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand, thus, but use all gently, for in the very torrent, tempest, and, as I may say, whirlwind of your passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness. Oh it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to totters, to very rags, to spleet the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part of capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb shows and noise. I would have such a fellow whipt for o'erdoing Termagant, it out-Herods Herod, pray you avoid it.**

**-Hamlet 2.2 (P.S. I don't own anything I happen to mention in my story…especially Naruto).**

**Particularly Appropriate Music: In Our Bedroom After the War- Stars, One More Night- Stars, District Sleeps Alone- The Postal Service, Sour Girl- Stone Temple Pilots, Jigsaw Falling Into Place- Radiohead, I Will Follow You Into The Dark- Death Cab for Cutie**

**A Series of Incoherent Musings #1(Gaara): An Average Night at the Sabaku Residence**

"There was political satire in _The Time Machine_?"

An innocent question. Stupid, sudden, and lacking any real background information (as I had never actually read H.G. Wells' work) but, nonetheless, I found myself asking it. Shikamaru stared at me from across the room, cocking an eyebrow and seeming distinctly curious.

As usual, we lazed around in my room. It amused me, considering that I never thought myself to be lazy until I befriended the master himself, yet, here we were. He had been dozing lightly on my bed, fully clothed, and hair still up in that ridiculous ponytail. White light shimmered in through the window, as it was late afternoon and cloudy, but he slumbered on, wishing that the weather was nicer so that we could lounge around outside.

I lay sprawled out on the rug adjacent to my bed, a book in hand. _Oracle Night _by Paul Auster: it happened to be a but obscure considering Kakashi-sensei assigned it for English, but at least Auster wasn't a member of the "Old, dead, white guy's club," like the author's we generally read. I had just made it to a particular passage concerning H.G. Wells and his work, when the question came to mind. So, as usual, I asked.

"It doesn't really seem like a political satire to me," I continued. "I mean, what's it supposed to be satirizing?" Shikamaru sighed, shaking his head. He continued to lie down, facing towards the wall, and away from me.

"Maa, Gaara, you've never read H.G. Wells." I cringed inwardly. I've never even told him that, yet he knew. Shikamaru always had a way of doing that. Never ask stupid questions: that was his motto…well aside from never do today what you can put off 'til tomorrow (or never do at all for that matter). But, then again, that was more his way of life. He always said that if you could figure it out yourself, don't bother asking. Considering that his IQ was over two hundred, he could virtually answer any question on his own. Shika was a strange one all right; in the time that I had known him, I had never heard him utter a single question.

"What do you mean by that, _Sherlock_?" From anyone else, this question would have been absolutely dripping sarcasm. Choji always told me that I was far too nice to use sarcasm. Personally, I saw in more as naivety. Since my father decided to drill, "I am nothing more than a monster," into my head from the very time I was born, "Nice" wasn't exactly the first word I would use to describe myself. Well, either way you look at it, I wasn't really the sarcasm type of person.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at the nickname. "Well, my troublesome _Watson_, if you haven't actually read the book, you have no right to say there's no political satire in it."

Yup, that's Shikamaru for you, straight to the point. I pulled my trump card in response to that, "Shika, it's _The Time Machine_; the inner depth of this book involves Morlocks."

He grinned, "Fair enough, but that's beside the point. You still haven't read it." Yawning he stretched out on the bed, cat-like. He then proceeded to turn over, facing me, and curled up on his left side.

"Fine." I waved my white flag, quite used to losing my arguments with him. "Well then, tell me, is there any satire in _The Time Machine_?"

He scoffed, "No, not really." I think I was twitching at this point. Sulking, I chucked my ripped-up, un-annotated copy of _Oracle Night _at him.

"…I hate you." He just laughed, and I smiled back. Our arguments tended to end this way.

After a few moments of him sleeping, and myself pondering, I reached over to grab my book, only to realize that it was splayed out on the other side of the room. "Shik, will you throw my book back over here?" I asked tentatively. He waved a hand dismissively, burying his face in one of my pillows.

"You threw it; come over here and get it." I seethed, _Lazy bastard_, but at this point, I had enough experience to know that there was no winning with Shikamaru; he always found a way. So, I trudged over, but just as I reached to pick the book up, Shikamaru grabbed my arm and pulled me on to the bed next to him. I fell on the side closest to the wall with a soft "Oof."

"Relax," he urged with a smile, "You'll have plenty of time to pretend to do your homework later. Let's take a nap before dinner." I allowed a soft smile to cross my face.

"All right," I murmured, lying down and making myself comfortable. Shikamaru drifted off quickly as usual…unless he was feigning sleep (he had a prodigious amount of skill at that). I, however, had never been a very good sleeper. Between the terrifying nightmares and traumatic abuse from my father, sleep had never been my strong point. Then again, Shikamaru always had a way of calming me. I closed my eyes.

Warmth. Everything was soft, blurry, hazy, dark. Yellow, a flash of yellow. Bright cobalt blue eyes. A view of a shrine from the window. Comforting cotton sheets, a familiar room. Not my room. Cold! Dark and frightening. An unwanted reminder. Escape, longing. Where am I? Who am I? Why? A safe, wonderful home. A person. Black hair. Green flashes. A loving embrace. A new beginning. Shaking! Motion. Warm hands gripping my shoulders. A voice. "Gaara."

I gasped as my eyes snapped open. I was back in my room, on my bed, Shikamaru looking down at me. "Wha?" I slurred sleepily. The genius sighed.

"You had me worried there for a minute," he confessed. "You wouldn't wake up." I blinked, still confused at the entire situation.

"I slept?" The concept seemed foreign. Me sleeping?

"Yeah, you slept." Shikamaru checked the clock. "For a couple hours even. I had enough time to beat myself at checkers." He shook his head, obviously still a little shaken. I should be proud of myself; it takes _a lot_ to shake him up. "Well, anyway, dinner's ready." I sat up in bed, the covers falling into my lap. When did I cover myself? Shikamaru must have done it when he woke up.

"Okay," I whispered, still a little out of sorts. He helped me up; I felt so weak, like he alone supported my entire weight. Maybe he did. Somehow, I was reminded of the first time we met: that cloudy winter's day. The uncertainty I felt when he appeared, seeming to have emerged from the shadows themselves.

"Gaara." His voice put an end to my odd reminiscence. I looked up, but before I knew it, his hand was on my forehead. "You don't seem well." I said nothing, basking in the warmth of his hand, basking in his presence. Yet, at the same time, a strange churning sensation in my stomach made itself known. Had it always felt that way to be around him? What was I feeling? His voice again: he was talking. I blinked.

"What?" Apparently that had come out a lot more dazed than I had intended, for Shikamaru's gaze grew concerned.

"I said you're warm," he repeated. Fever: perhaps that was the explanation for this puzzling feeling. "Troublesome," he tsked to himself. With a hazy mind, I vaguely wondered why he seemed so worried about me. Was I really acting that off? "No wonder you were able to sleep for so long. I should have know," he berated himself. My rational side wanted to tell him that he shouldn't blame himself for something like this, but, with such a fuzzy brain, the command never reached my mouth. "Let's go downstairs," he continued. "I'll let Temari know you're sick, and maybe some food will do you some good." He grabbed my hand and started towards the door. That odd sensation overtook me once again, and, for reasons I couldn't understand, I wondered if I was blushing. Either way, the fever would have masked the presence of reddened cheeks.

It only took two steps for Shikamaru to realize that he was more dragging me than helping me along. "On second thought, maybe you should stay up here." Then, he picked me up, and that weird feeling intensified tenfold. I wanted to curl into Shikamaru and never leave; I wanted to melt into him so that I could be a part of him for all of eternity. Somewhere in my musings, I had actually closed my eyes and leaned into him.

I felt like crying when he gently laid me on the bed. He was kind enough to even pull the covers over me, but I barely noticed. I wished I could be surrounded by his warmth and scent forever. To drown in the essence that was Shikamaru.

"Gaara," he called softly, "I'm going to go tell Temari you're sick and grab our dinner." I just stared dazedly at him. "I'll be back soon; don't do anything stupid while I'm gone," he smiled, only to have it falter at my lack of response. I watched him leave, and as that door of mine closed with a soft click, for a moment there, I thought I felt my world dim and seem to fade away.

The next few minutes were chaos: a haze of leftover emotions, ordinary sounds and sights, and fever. It was a dizzy sight. The room seemed to gently rock back and forth, like the cabin in an old wooden ship. The rustle of the wind blowing through the trees became the distant crash of waves as the current carried my ship off. The world was reforming. When was the last time I had felt this lonely? The soft creak of the house settling lost its way from my ear to my brain; instead, I was certain that the creaking came from the foundation of my boat. It was too old; I would have to replace it before my next voyage. Assuming there was a next voyage, that is. These seas are dangerous, and you never know when you'll topple over the edge of the Earth.

Then it came: the telltale lurch right in the pit of my stomach. I was falling; my time had come. I had left the world I knew behind and crashing into oblivion. Nothing but me, the edge, and my vessel. Strangely, the lurch came again stronger than before, and I found myself crawling over to my trashcan. I retched, quickly emptying my stomach of all of its contents. Hot, salty, wet tears ran down my cheeks. I was crying; why was I crying? It was my time. I was going to die alone at sea, so I may as well accept it. But no matter what I told myself, the tears just kept falling. Soon, I would be sailing across the river Styx in my trusty ship; there was no avoiding it. I began to sob, choking as I retched again.

Then, it was over. I was lifted away from my body. Funny, I never thought being caught in death's cold clutches would feel so comforting. I must have been a better person than I thought, for this could be nothing but heaven. I relaxed; it smelled like Shikamaru. A voice. The first voice I had heard in a long while.

"Sorry…I'm so sorry." Sorry? Anyone who smelled like this would have to be an angel, and angels should never have to apologize. I allowed my eyes to flutter open. In my confusion, I could have sworn that it was Shikamaru looking down at me.

"Stupid, I'm so stupid! I never should have left you alone." That nasally voice was an exact replica of the one that I knew so well. If I hadn't known better, I would have bet money that it was truly Shikamaru beside me.

The angel sighed, gently tousling my hair, "You're can't even understand me right now. You're so troublesome."

"Shikamaru," I rasped softly, barely audible. I wasn't even sure why I called for him. Perhaps it was some sort of foolish hope, but why would Shikamaru be in the underworld with me?

"Yeah," he whispered, a soft smile directed at me, "it's me." Angels don't lie; it had to be Shikamaru. I couldn't hold back after that realization. I buried my face in his lap and cried like I had never cried before.

"Y-you came for m-me," I sobbed. "You came all this way to rescue me! Y-you f-followed me to the end of the Earth." From there, I completely broke down. He seemed so unsure as he gently rubbed my back and whispered, "Yeah, I suppose I did, and I'd do it again too." He just let me lie there in his lap, until I had lost my voice from all the crying, and my sobs became soft hiccups. He shushed me when I murmured a soft, "Thank you…" By then, I had forgotten the true reason for my gratitude. All that I knew was that I had my Shikamaru by my side, and that was enough to allow me to drift off into a sea of dreams.

**Let me know if there are any major mistakes, yeah? I'm still a little shaky on the extended metaphor part, so tell me if you think it's too confusing. I can't guarantee when I'll update again (junior year and everything), but I'll try my best. Until next time!**


	2. Family Dynamics

***Well, I finally decided to update. I have no real excuse other than I started the new chapter, and couldn't decide where to go with it. Well, this Remaron-induced rambling is what you get. I apologize profusely to the two people who actually bother reading my crappy medication-driven stories. I'll try my best to write more often for you, my important people! I'm juggling two APs, a job, a school magazine, and co-heading the Shakespeare club for my school (the bulk of the work is really the APs) but I'll try my best for you guys! But…don't expect much. Well, on to the story: it literally took a month and a half to write, so I do hope you enjoy. Bt-dubs, this is a chapter, not a musing, so it should be in third person…if it's not, I really need work on my proofreading skills (I swear it's happened before…see chapter 3 of My Home, My Konoha).**

**Disclaimer: ****Let me play the fool: with mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come, and let my liver rather heat with wine than my heart cool with mortifying groans. Why should a man, whose blood is warm within, sit like his grandsire cut in alabaster? Sleep when he wakes and creep into the jaundice by being peevish? I tell thee what, Antonio-- I love thee, and it is my love that speaks-- there are a sort of men whose visages do cream and mantle like a standing pond, and do a willful stillness entertain, with purpose to be dress'd in an opinion of wisdom, gravity, profound conceit, as who should say 'I am Sir Oracle, and when I open my lips let no dog bark!' O my Antonio, I do know of these that therefore only are reputed wise for saying nothing; when, I am very sure, if they should speak, would almost damn those ears, which, hearing them, would call their brothers fools. I'll tell thee more of this another time: but fish not, with this melancholy bait, for this fool gudgeon, this opinion. Come, good Lorenzo. Fare ye well awhile: I'll end my exhortation after dinner.**

**-**_**Merchant of Venice **_**1.1 (P.S. I don't own anything I mention in my story…especially Naruto). **

**Particularly Appropriate Music: Everlong- the Foo Fighters, Bixby Canyon Bridge- Death Cab for Cutie, Michelle- the Beatles, Body of Years- Mother Mother, Sea Foam- Land of Talk, and C'mon Baby Say Bang Bang- Jane Vain and the Dark Matter.**

**Chapter 1: Family Dynamics**

Shikamaru awoke with a kink in his neck (sleeping with your head against the wall tends to do that). He was still in mild disbelief about the events that had occurred the night prior. The sick little redhead was still fast asleep, all curled in his lap. He smiled sleepily at the sight, but he couldn't fight the concern that lingered in the back of his mind: Gaara had been so sick. Borderline delusional. He considered skipping school as to not leave the ill teen alone.

He looked to Gaara's untouched dinner from the previous night. He vaguely wondered if the redhead would he able to keep any food down today. He had had to call up Kankuro to throw out the vomit-filled trash bin since Gaara hadn't seemed to be waking up, or else he would have done it himself. He just didn't have the heart to move the sleeping Gaara; he just seemed so peaceful, lying in Shikamaru's lap.

As he watched the gentle rising and falling of Gaara's chest, he couldn't help but remember the tear-streaked face of the boy as he clutched onto Shikamaru for what seemed like dear life. According to the thermometer, Gaara's temperature had spiked, and that's what had caused his fevered state. Still, Shikamaru had never felt his heart clench with worry and empathy quite like the way it had when he watched the out-of-it redhead break down in his arms. He sighed; Shikamaru may have been a genius, but there were still so many things he felt that he could never understand.

A soft knock on the door snapped him out of his ponderings and caused Gaara to shift in his lap. The sleeping boy mumbled something softly in his sleep before settling. Shikamaru looked back at the door, which opened to reveal an exhausted blond. He smiled at the face that he had fallen in love with.

The first things he always noticed about her were her eyes. Those blue-green pools: they were so like water. They reflected the color of a river running through a prairie, the life-source of an ecosystem. They sparkled in the sunlight, not unlike the shimmering waves of the sea. They were exactly like Gaara's, though not many people seemed to notice. They both held the same elusive tint that could appear sky blue one moment and mint green the next.

If her eyes were the stream that runs throughout the prairie, then he hair was the wheat that it nourishes. Her hair, like wheat, may not have been very soft to the touch, but that golden appearance was worth more than all of the true gold in the world. She usually kept the locks up in an odd four-pony-tailed style, but the day was still young, so it fell past her shoulders.

Shikamaru studied her tan face like he would view a masterpiece. That perfect, small nose that curved into luscious ruby lips. Her checks were full, and she never seemed to lose all of her baby fat (both of her brothers had the same problem). Her jaw led back to perfectly dainty ears, which, at this point in the day, were covered by her golden tresses. All in all, her face was perfect and ever changing with the emotions of the day. She, much like her younger, redheaded brother, had a face that could blaze with her fiery temper and soften with kindness and warmth. Shikamaru knew the truth: there was no woman on Earth quite like Temari.

"Hey," he greeted softly. She flashed a soft smile and took a seat next to him on the bed.

"Hey," she echoed back in a whisper, "How's he doing?" She asked the question with a definite air of concern, gently running her fingers through garnet locks as she did so.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered in response. Temari chuckled quietly.

"I know," she began. "I mean aside from that."

The genius sighed, "We really can't be sure how he is until he wakes up, but he hasn't had any fits since last night."

Temari's teal eyes seemed to drip with worry as she murmured, "Was he really that bad?" Shikamaru stared up at the ceiling, frantically scanning his brain for the perfect way to respond; there was none. In fact, there was only one move to make, and he hoped to God that it wouldn't end in a checkmate for him.

"Yeah," he whispered truthfully. There was no point in sugarcoating it. "He really was." Temari's eyes were empty.

"I see," she intoned. Gaara stirred slightly in his sleep, murmuring something unintelligible. A sad smile crossed Temari's face as she stroked her baby brother's soft cheek. She met Shikamaru's auburn eyes. "You're legs must be asleep by now," she concluded.

"Yeah, I suppose they are," he shrugged.

"Isn't it troublesome?" Shikamaru shook his head, grinning.

"Well, I guess a bit, but I can deal with troublesome, as long as it's for you two." Temari beamed and the two of them shared a warm, loving kiss.

Pulling apart, the blond whispered, "I've got to get ready for class. I'll stop by again once I'm dressed."

Shikamaru shrugged, "Just don't hog the bathroom for too long," he teased. Temari smacked him half-heartedly as she left the room.

Shikamaru sat in silence pondering what to ponder. A dog outside began to bark and yowl at a higher decibel than Shikamaru would have preferred. He rubbed his temples, wanting more than anything to take a nap. His eyelids drooped.

Just as he was about to let himself doze off, his ears alerted him to the softest of moans. He looked to the redhead in his lap, only to meet half-lidded beryl eyes. Shikamaru marveled at how the soft morning light reflected the lightest of blues from Gaara's irises.

"…Morning," he slurred with a dry throat. His dazed eyes met Shikamaru's ever-bored auburn ones. Shikamaru deduced that Gaara had little memory of the night prior, as he seemed confused at his current position, as well as the lack of embarrassment he showed.

Before Gaara could even manage a "What happened?" Shikamaru had shoved a thermometer in his mouth, Gaara made no qualms, merely leaning into the genius's chest. He felt so dizzy, so hot. He was perfectly fine with just lying in Shikamaru's lap. He closed his eyes.

The thermometer beeped shrilly, enticing Shikamaru to check it. The device read "102.4" degrees Fahrenheit. Shikamaru sighed, "You could really use some Advil." Gaara refused to move or respond; Shikamaru's lap was just too warm and comfortable. How could he even consider leaving this sanctuary?

"That's a fair thought to lie between a maid's legs,"**1** Gaara quoted dazedly. Shikamaru cocked an eyebrow.

"Nothing…" the redhead responded softly. Shikamaru shook his head.

"I'll assume that's the fever talking and pretend you never said that." Gaara said nothing more, simply closing his eyes and allowing the fever to erode his consciousness.

Shikamaru sighed; he shifted around, maneuvering himself over to the head of the bed. He propped himself up on the pillows, while Gaara's head dropped onto his stomach. The redhead seemed to be undisturbed, though his face seemed tense in an odd way.

"You have a headache," the genius claimed. Gaara nodded, unable to keep a whimper from escaping his lips. "I'll get you some Advil-"

"Don't leave," Gaara interjected softly. "I'll be all right."

"…Shikamaru?" The addressed met Gaara's ice blue eyes. "Are you going to school today?" Gaara ended his question with an abrupt coughing fit. Shikamaru gently patted his back.

"I don't know…probably not." Gaara frowned.

"I'm sorry-"

"You can't help that you got sick."

The redhead sighed, "Naruto, Choji, and the others will worry if both of us aren't there."

"Let them worry. You just focus on getting better." Shikamaru began running his fingers through Gaara's ruby locks. His companion closed his eyes almost wanting to purr like a kitten.

"…Shikamaru," he murmured. Shikamaru said nothing, but continued to stroke the crimson tresses. "What are we?" he continued. Shikamaru would never admit that he was a tad befuddled by the question. He had an instinct as to what Gaara meant (based on his knowledge of the inner workings of the redhead's mind. Still, he wasn't quite sure.

The boy in his lap, seemingly sensing his friend's confusion at the question, explained a but further, "I mean, are we friends…?" Shikamaru sighed, noting the self-conflict that he saw in Gaara's bright beryl eyes. "I-I feel different when I'm with you…it's not like being with Naruto, or even Lee-"

"We are what we are," Shikamaru interjected; inwardly rolling his eyes at the fact that he was starting to sound like Asuma. "You can't label feelings, though we try. I love you, Gaara, but…it's different than the way I love your sister, and also different from the way I love Choji. We classify all those emotions as love, but they're all very different feelings."

Gaara closed his eye, curling close to his human pillow. "Shikamaru…I don't feel so good." Shikamaru grew concerned, knowing that the redhead wasn't one to complain.

"I know." A deep silence developed between them as Gaara drifted in and out of consciousness. Shikamaru wondered if the fever was responsible for Gaara's strange train of thought. And the night before…he considered talking to Tsunade about all of this…she used to be the director of a hospital after all. Maybe-

"Shika-kun! Chibi-danna!**2** Are you two awake in there, un?" A voice called loudly from behind the door. Gaara's eyes drifted open, staring at Shikamaru in mild confusion.

"Well, if they weren't awake before, they are now, baka!" A deeper voice growled.

"Oh! Well in that case, I'm opening the door!" The door opened indeed, revealing a blond man, and his redheaded husband.

"Sasori-nii-chan…Deidara?" Gaara called softly. Sasori strode over to the bed, his companion in toe.

"Yeah, it's us, kid." Sasori showed some restraint unlike his blond lover who immediately ran over and hugged Gaara.

"Oh, poor Chibi-danna has a fever, un! Has Shika-kun been taking good care of you?"

"Yes…" Deidara grinned.

"Good! Or else I'd throw him in the kiln." Shikamaru blinked.

"That better be an exaggeration…(troublesome)." Sasori shook his head and roughly tousled Gaara's equally ruby tresses. It didn't make much sense that they'd look so similar; after all, they were only second cousins. In fact, he looked more like Gaara than either of his siblings.

"Wait! I know, un! I'll pick you up something nice for dinner. Something you'll really like…I would cook you something, but Sasori no Danna won't let me use the stove anymore-"

"Because the last time you tried to cook, you blew up the pot-roast in an attempt to further your artistic vision," Sasori added monotonously.

"It worked, didn't it?"

"No, not really." Sasori then proceeded to drag Deidara to the door and push him out. "You're too loud to deal with in the morning, baka. Go get dressed, and let the kid get some sleep."

Deidara waved, "Looks like I've been kicked out, un. Bye, Chibi-danna-chan! Bye, Shika-kun!"

After walking back over, Sasori laid a warm hand on the smaller redhead's shoulder. "I've got to go to work. You get yourself some rest. Deidara and I should be back later, so should Temari, and Kankuro should be here for a while, until he leaves for class, all right?" Gaara nodded.

"Thanks, Sasori-nii-chan." Sasori shrugged as he walked out, closing the door behind him.

The redhead left behind curled up like an exhausted cat in Shikamaru's arms. The latter yawned. "Let's take a nap," he suggested. Gaara was way ahead of him, his breath already slow with sleep. Shikamaru smiled warmly at the sight, shaking his head. He let his head fall with a "poof" onto the pillow and waited for sleep to claim him.

As per usual, the moment that he found himself in the blissful, mind-numbing grasp of sleep, a knock on the door abruptly awoke him. Shikamaru groaned, also noting that Gaara had not stirred from his place in the genius's lap.

The door opened once again, but this time a brunette walked in. He waved nonchalantly in greeting and immediately stalked over to his baby brother. Before Shikamaru could even get a word in, the bulky brunette already had his hand on his brother's forehead.

"He's still pretty warm," he murmured both absent-mindedly and with an air of concern. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"You know, Kankuro, you could have just asked me if he still had a fever."

"Yes, but that would have made sense…and you know I don't think that way, Genius-boy." Kankuro took a bottle out from his pocket. "Anyway, I brought these." He shook the bottle of Advil lightly before setting it down on the nightstand. "I do hate to wake him up though."

Shikamaru nodded unmindfully as he looked at their sleeping little brother. "Yeah," he agreed quietly. Kankuro sighed as he gently began to shake the unconscious Gaara. Said redhead moaned lightly as dark eyelids unveiled the brightest of blues.

"K-Kankuro?" The addressed said nothing, gently tousling the garnet locks. He poured a handful of Advil from the bottle, handing two of them along with a glass of water to the redhead. Gaara did not swallow them, or even put them in his mouth for that matter. Instead he simply gazed through them with large, blank, unblinking eyes. Kankuro merely cocked an eyebrow, but Shikamaru started, eyes widening. As he stared at Gaara's light blue eyes, he could have sworn that he saw those azure irises begin to mist over with an eerie black hue. And, Shikamaru didn't like that one bit.

"_Gaara_," he called a little too loudly, both revealing his fear and startling Kankuro. Gaara blinked before slowly turning to face the source of the call.

"What…?" he uttered in a high, dreamy voice. Shikamaru sighed with relief; Gaara's eyes were bright again. Kankuro placed a hand on Gaara's shoulder.

"Take your medicine. It'll make you feel loads better." Gaara didn't have to think twice. He took the two large red pills in one gulp.

He sighed as he flopped back on the bed. "Shikamaru?" Said genius turned to look Gaara in the eye. "You've been taking care of me since last night," he began dazedly. "You should go sleep in Temari's room; you need it-"

"I'm not leaving you alone es-" Shikamaru cut himself off, as he was about to blurt out, "Especially after what just happened with your eyes."

"Please?" Gaara implored. Shikamaru still did not seem very satisfied with the idea.

"I'll be fine. I just took some Advil, so my fever will come down in a little…"

_"It's not just your fever I'm worried about, Gaara," _Shikamaru thought warily. He yawned, unable to contain himself. Gaara did have a point: Shikamaru was exhausted (he could practically feel the dark circles forming under his eyes).

He gave in. "All right, but only for a little while." Gaara beamed sleepily. "_But_, if you need _anything_, you're coming to get me," Shikamaru practically ordered. Gaara nodded. "Promise me," he continued sternly.

"I promise," Gaara whispered, his eyes half-lidded.

"Good, now, get some sleep," he smiled, tucking the redhead in. Gaara didn't even have time to respond before he was out again.

Shikamaru nodded at Kankuro, and the pair left the room, gently closing the door behind them. Still, there was something nagging at the younger of the two; something that even he could not figure out.

"Kankuro, I saw something strange happen to Gaara while we were in there. Said brunette looked puzzled.

"Like what?" Shikamaru rubbed his temples, considering the best way to explain it.

"I…I thought I saw his eyes change color after you woke him up-" Shikamaru's expression was strange as he explained the change. For once in his life, Kankuro saw the normally bored-looking genius, seem significantly shaken up.

"They do that all the time; so do Temari's actually," the brunette explained, trying to calm Shikamaru down some.

"No. Not like that. It wasn't a change from blue to green; it was more like from blue to…dark, murky, blackish blue." Kankuro blinked.

"That's…weird. I don't think I saw anything like that…and I was looking right at him." Shikamaru's eyes widened. Could he have been hallucinating? Kankuro clasped his shoulder.

"You know, you really didn't get much sleep last night…maybe your eyes were playing tricks on you," Kankuro concluded, trying to rationalize the entire situation.

"Maybe…"

"Get some sleep, man. It'll clear your head. I'll be in the living room if you need me." And with that, Kankuro left, down the stairs.

Shikamaru sighed. _"Maybe he's right,"_ he thought as he peered in on the sleeping Gaara. Even so, he couldn't help the sinking feeling in his stomach as it made itself known. _"But then again…maybe he's not." _ Kankuro was right about one thing, however: Shikamaru needed to rest. And with that new goal in mind, Shikamaru headed down the hall to Temari's room.

***Well, there you have it. I'm glad that I finally was able to throw some supernatural stuff in there. I find the Gaara-Shikamaru relationship to be very interesting. My interpretations of the characters are a little strange, and a lot of the friendships in my stories tend to seem closer than normal friendships (I went into that a little in this chapter). Well, as long as it isn't taking away from the story, I'm sure it's fine. Oh! Next chapter is a Shikamaru musing, but after that we'll finally see some other characters like Neji, Choji, Lee, and Naruto. Well! I hope you enjoyed.**

**Deidara calls Gaara "Chibi-danna" because he looks so much like Sasori, except younger.**

**MOAR HAMLITT KWOATZ!!!**


	3. Climbing up the Walls

***So, let's see, it's been another month and a half since I've updated…shit. Well, at least I'm regular (dude, I just said that like I was talking about my menstrual cycle, ftw and wtf at the same time!) Right so, I'm pretty jacked up on whatever pills I'm taking at this point, and if you haven't noticed, I usually am when I write and update. It's a Thursday and I'm a junior in high school. What the hell do you expect? Seriously though, I have a history paper due in a week (a pretty decent sized one) and I just wrote my outline…dude, it was 7 pages long! And I only used like 30 fucking note cards, what the hell? Some people had like 200 note cards for an 8-page paper. I started with 50, and I had to trim it down to 30 for fear that my outline would be bigger than my actual paper! WTF!? Dude, what do you expect when you give me a broad topic like the Roaring Twenties! OMG! This is going to be one hell of a weekend. Anyway, without further adieu, here's you crappy random story of doom that I wrote in like 3 nights with several weeks in between. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: ****When my cue comes, call me, and I will answer: my next is, 'Most fair Pyramus.' Heigh-ho! Peter Quince! Flute, the bellows-mender! Snout, the tinker! Starveling! God's my life, stolen hence, and left me asleep! I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what dream it was: man is but an ass, if he go about to expound this dream. Methought I was—there is no man can tell what. Methought I was,--and methought I had,--but man is but a patched fool, if he will offer to say what methought I had. The eye of man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not seen, man's hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart to report, what my dream was. I will get Peter Quince to write a ballad of this dream: it shall be called Bottom's Dream, because it hath no bottom; and I will sing it in the latter end of a play, before the duke: peradventure, to make it the more gracious, I shall sing it at her death.**

**- Nick Bottom, A Midsummer Night's Dream 4.1 (I played him in our class's Midsummer. It was awesome…P.S. I don't own anything I happen to mention in my story…especially Naruto).**

**Particularly Appropriate Music: Climbing up the Walls- Radiohead, #1 Crush- Garbage, They are the Night Zombies! They Are Neighbors! They have come back from the Dead! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!- Sufjan Stevens, Where I end and you Begin- Radiohead, To Forgive- Smashing Pumpkins, The Cold Part- Modest Mouse**

**A Series of Incoherent Musings #2 (Shikamaru): Climbing up the Walls**

I had a bad feeling. It was dark, and this wasn't any normal darkness either. My eyes would not seem to adjust to it at all; it just didn't seem right. I became especially suspicious when I realized that, even though the world around me was too dark to see a thing, I could still clearly see my body, and in vivid color at that.

Now, I may not be a scientist (or anything or the sort for that matter) but I know enough about physics to understand that when you can't see five inches in front of you, you're definitely not supposed to be able to see yourself _at all_, let alone in Technicolor.

I was only certain of one thing: wherever I was, it was troublesome. For some reason, the thought never crossed my mind that I had no idea how I got to this place; in fact, my brain really didn't seem to be working correctly. I couldn't seem to piece anything together, and that's _never_ happened to me before. At least, not that I could remember.

After a long, drawn-out sigh, I made the executive decision so start walking around, thinking that perhaps I would run into something helpful.

My sense of time and distance was very off. I couldn't tell you how long or how far I'd walked it I tried. In the back of my mind, there was a lingering sense that I had forgotten something of grave importance, yet every time I tried to make sense of the feeling, it found away to elude my grasp.

I tried not to think about the darkness itself, for I knew that if I were to really observe it, I would most likely go insane. Neji had told me once, "Darkness of place is darkness of mind. If you're every in the dark, try not to think." I tried to grin at the memory, or even at the fact that his advice seemed to come in handy in the strangest situations, but my inherent anxiety transformed the expression into a nervous smile.

A flash of scarlet. I immediately jerked my head up, thinking that perhaps I was imagining things. Squinting to get a better view from this distance, I saw it again. I was certain that I had, but one can never be sure of anything in the dark. Keeping a shred of hope alive, I sprinted towards it, but even I couldn't have predicted what I found.

It was a figure: ruby locks fell wildly around a face as pale as snow. Dark rings framed aqua eyes that were so bright that they almost seemed to glow. He was dressed simply, in all white, something I'd never seen him wear. It was Gaara, and he looked weaker than I'd ever seen him. In fact, I was surprised that he was still able to stand.

"Shikamaru," he murmured in that all too familiar voice. "…How?" He attempted to stagger over to me, but his legs quickly gave out. I dashed over, catching him before he hit the ground. He grabbed my shirt with a fists clenched so tight that I was shocked that he didn't rip the material, and when he looked up at me with those eyes, eyes so very blue and fearful, I was at a loss for words. "Why…are you here Shikamaru?" He whispered weakly. "You have to leave!"

At this point, though I couldn't explain why, I was absolutely petrified. Eyes wide, I attempted to calm myself down but failed spectacularly. "I…I-I'm not leaving you," I managed to stammer out. Gaara smiled sadly.

"My life for yours,"**(1) **he murmured finally. And then I panicked.

"What?" I uttered breathlessly, uncaring that I had broken my sacred creed. Before he could even begin to answer, the darkness began to shift, and I was moving away from him at a rapid pace. I tried to move, to run back towards him, but my body seemed to be immobilized; it wouldn't budge an inch. I heard his voice again, soft and calm, "My life for yours." Terror-stricken, I did the only thing I could: I screamed bloody murder.

_"Gaara!! Gaara!! Come back! Don't do this! Not for me!! GAARA!!"_ I cried and yelled, pulling frantically against my invisible restraints. _"GAARA!!!!"_

I snapped awake in Temari's bed, my own screams still echoing through my mind. I tried to slow my panic-attack-like breathing, even so, still barely able to catch my breath. Eyes wide, I managed to whisper the only word I could think of to describe that experience, "Troublesome…"

I forced myself to sit up so that I could get a good view of the clock that sat on Temari's nightstand. It read 7:50a.m. Great! Just fucking great! I'd hardly been asleep an hour, and I was already being plagued by strange, troublesome dreams. I wanted to do nothing more than to lie back down on the bed, forget I ever woke up, and continue my nap well into the afternoon, but I knew that, after a nightmare like _that_, I would never be able to just go right back to sleep. I sighed; there was only one way to stifle my worries, and that was to check on Gaara.

Groaning, I decided to get this over with, so I rolled out of bed and stumbled my way into the hall. Okay, this was going to be very simple: I would make my trek over to Gaara's room, gently open the door and step it; then, I would proceed to look over the room and find Gaara fast asleep in bed; I would quietly make my way over to him; if his fever was down or the same, I would turn to leave; if his fever rose, I'd give him, another Advil and wait for it to take effect; if it still didn't take effect…I'd have to take him to the doctor, and…well, let's just say I'd prefer if that didn't happen. Well, anyway, somehow, someway, I'd end up continuing my nap, eventually.

I would have continued to plan ahead, but I was already at Gaara's room when I got to scenario 4. All went according to plan, as I gently opened the door and stepped in. Step 1 and 2, check. But it was when I advanced to step 3 that things went awry: there was no sleeping Gaara lying on the bed. In fact, there was no Gaara.

"Shit," I hissed as the greater implications of that realization hit me. Where the hell was that redhead of mine? I ran through the doorway, slamming the door open in the process. "Gaara! Gaara!" I called as I dashed through the hallway. I racked my brain for an answer. Where was he and why the hell wasn't he responding? _"The bathroom?" _I thought warily, unsure of anywhere else he could be, but that still didn't explain why he wasn't responding!

Out of any real possibilities, I decided that the bathroom was my only option and headed there. The door was closed, suggesting that there was most likely someone in there. Keeping a shred of decency, I knocked. There was no response, and that unnerved me. "Gaara," I called again, softer this time. Still no answer. I opened the door, but…sadly, I never expected what I found.

Gaara was lying face down on the bathroom floor, right hand, outstretched as if he was reaching out to me, his left lay closer to his body, his legs were askew, and he was noticeably shaking. His position suggested that he had been leaning on the toilet when he collapsed.

I quickly snapped myself out of my shock and dashed towards the unconscious redhead. I pulled Gaara into mu arms, cradling him, and loudly called his name. The only response I received was the fluttering of his eyelids.

"Gaara!" I called louder, sternly almost. I hated using that tone; it made me feel too high strung, but something about that kid always made me get like this.

The redhead moaned as he forced himself awake at the sound of my voice. In this light, his eyes opened to reveal a soft turquoise.

"Sh…Shika…?" I buried my head in his shoulder, relieved and nodding.

"You're such an idiot…" He smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry I didn't wake you-"

"No you're not," I cut in. "You probably had your fingers crossed the whole time I made you promise to come get me." Before he could get another word in, I felt his forehead. "And now I think your fever's up." He curled into my lap.

"Have you been feeling sick? Maybe I'm contagious," he murmured.

"You shouldn't be worrying about me; I'm not the one who collapsed on the bathroom floor." I sighed as he looked away sheepishly. "I can tell you weren't just here for a routine trip to the bathroom anyway." His face fell at my observation.

"…I threw up," he confessed like a child explaining to their mother that they broke an expensive keepsake.

"Okay! Now I'm pissed! You _definitely_ should have gotten me up!" He looked to the floor apologetically, mirroring a beaten puppy. My eyes softened at this; I sighed and hugged him. "Sorry," I uttered, calming down, "I didn't mean to yell. I'm just…" I ran a hand through my hair, trying to wrap my mind around the entire situation. "I…I don't even know what I am. God, you drive me nuts, sometimes." He nodded lightly into my chest.

"It's okay." Sighing again, I continued to speak whatever happened to come to my mind.

"You couldn't have thrown up much anyway," I pondered aloud. "You haven't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon."

"Yeah…it was mostly acid, and-" he stopped short.

"Gaara," I called hesitantly, as he neglected to finish his thought.

"Shikamaru," he began, "I think I'm going to be sick."

My mind seemed to go blank at this point; I was running on pure instinct alone. Immediately, I helped him over to the toilet. He was shaking…_a lot_. I did my best to hold him steady, and we waited. Then, as if a chemical reaction had been set off in his stomach, he retched. Unsure of what to do, I gently rubbed circles on his back, and by the time he had finished, he had vomited and dry heaved twice. Exhausted, panting, and racked with tremors, he fell back against me. I lightly fingered his crimson tresses as he closed his eyes, attempting to catch his breath.

But, as soon as he had calmed himself, his eyes snapped back open, and he was leaning against the toilet again, throwing up. This made absolutely no sense. He had dry heaved twice, and now he was vomiting up bile again? How is that even possible? I mean, he hadn't even eaten in long over half a day, so what could he possibly be throwing up? I didn't know why at the time, but something about this illness perturbed me.

He collapsed in a heap back into my lap. He swallowed, breath hitching every so often. The poor kid seemed to be in a lot of pain. Then, he buried his face in the crook of my neck, grabbing my shirt in a vice grip. And I got that bad feeling again.

"Oh my God," I murmured in disbelief as his turquoise eyes were overcome with that horrible pitch black again. "_Oh my God_." He stared through me, to something far off in the distance beyond the walls of the house, mouth agape. Then, I felt it, coiling around my legs. I started, quickly looking to the floor. You know that black mist that I've been seeing in Gaara's eyes? Well, it was surrounding us, seeping in through the cracks of the door and windows, from behind the mirror, even from the pipes of the bathtub and sink.

I shivered, feeling suddenly freezing as the mist began to take form around us; I swear I could see my breath in the air, and I held Gaara tightly to my body as the mist began spiraling around him.

"Get out!" I shouted frantically and childishly. "Go away!!" The mist took no heed, and I lost it as Gaara's irises became completely black, resembling Kankuro's in a disturbing sort of way. "Gaara," I called anxiously, uncertainly.

He looked up, moving like a possessed doll. His expression completely blank and mouth still agape. He cocked his head, as if confused at my fear.

"Gaara!!" I screamed. He did not answer, only staring straight into my eyes, I shivered again, and though I hate to admit it, it was more from fear than the sudden chill of the room. The dark mist was still coiled loosely around him like a snake.

I gripped his shoulders forcefully. "Gaara!! Snap out of it!! GAARA!!!" Seemingly unaffected by my cries, he slowly and smoothly moved his hand up to cup my cheek. Completely dumbfounded and terrified, I could only stare as he mouthed something inaudibly as if talking to an entity that only he could hear, and then, I snapped.

I grabbed him, still shaking with fear, and held him tightly against me. "Gaara," I pleaded, "It's me. It's Shikamaru! Your Shikamaru!" Gaara remained unchanged, as if I hadn't said anything at all. Gritting my teeth, I screamed finally, "_Wake up! Listen to me!! I don't know what you're dealing with but fight it!! Please, Gaara!!!_" The mist diffused from around his body and gathered in the center of the room, adjacent to the mirror, before finally melting away into nothingness. And as soon as it did, Gaara's eyes returned to their normal bright hue , before closing as he fainted. He collapsed, head resting on my shoulder, and he went limp in my arms. I had never been so relieved and scared in my entire life.

Unfortunately, I stood corrected as I looked to where the mist had disappeared, for there, in bold, on the mirror, was written "**Next time, Shikamaru, next time.**" in what looked like black blood. Oh yeah, I was getting that bad feeling all right. A bad feeling indeed.

***Epic fail!! Yeah, I'm not particularly happy with this chapter, but at least the plot appears to be sort of moving…kind of. Oh! And for those of you who want to see some other characters, you'll get your chance with my next update! I have to admit, this one seems shorter than my other chapters. I wonder why. Until next time, friends! I bid you adieu.**

**1- the most out of context Midsummer quote EVER! In context, this is actually a funny line. Wtf?**


	4. Show Love with No Remorse

**g*AHHH!!! I'm alive! I'm alive! I've been drowning in high school for the last three months…way to go, Kaiser. I'm SO sorry! I'll get back on this story! Seriously. God, Foxxy, you were right when you told me not to take on two projects at once. Yeah, so for those of you who don't already know, I have another Naruto fic called "Tennessee Williams, Eat Your Heart Out" going. It's LeeGaa, so if you're into that sort of thing, feel free to check it out. It's tight, man. Well, anyway…on to Neighborhood! So, it's time to see some other characters outside of the ones in the Sabaku household! As you may have already noticed from my characterization of Shikamaru and Gaara, my interpretations of anime characters can be quite strange indeed…I suppose that's why they call it fanfiction (then again, if you ask me, Kishimoto made Lee totally OOC during the rescue-Gaara arc. If you're not there yet…that means that either you're not up to date with the SJ-translated manga, Japanese manga, or Japanese version of the anime, or it means that you watch the English dub. Sorry about that). Well, as I was saying, Lee and Neji's interpretations are especially strange (lol… sorry Foxxy), or at least, that's what I've been told. Actually, one of my favorite parts about writing this chapter was working with Lee's formal speech patterns. The syntax was just so fun! It was like writing in Shakespearean dialect…only without the poesy. Also, just a couple things: 1) I reveal a lot of information in this chapter, so take notes (jk) 2) Neji is the epitome of file cabinet (thank you Gilligan) 3) I love parallelism 4) My foreshadowing is about as thinly-veiled as a prophecy. 5) Transitions? Why, I've never heard of such a thing! Well, anyway, I hope you guys enjoy because I certainly had fun writing it. Read it, review if you'd like, and, of course, have oodles of fun! **

**Disclaimer (I always want to write disclaimer with an "o" for some reason…wtf?): "****Ask me no reason why I love you; for though/ Love use Reason for his physician, he admits him/ not for his counselor. You are not young, no more/ am I; go to then,/ there's sympathy: you are merry,/ so am I; ha, ha! then there's more sympathy: you /love sack, and so do I; would you desire better/ sympathy? Let it suffice thee, Mistress Page,--at/ the least, if the love of soldier can suffice,--/ that I love thee. I will/ not say, pity me; 'tis/ not a soldier-like phrase: but I say, love me. By me,/ Thine own true knight,/ By day or night,/ Or any kind of light,/ With all his might/**

**For thee to fight, John Falstaff"~Merry Wives of Windsor (2.1…P.S. ****I don't own anything I happen to mention in my story…especially Naruto).**

**Particularly Appropriate Music: Wisdom- Mother Mother, Neighbor- Mother Mother, Copper Tied- The Cape May, Lullaby- The Cure, Green Eyes- Coldplay, Lost Cause- Beck, Anything by Interpol (especially Stella was a Diver, PDA, and NARC), Everlong- Foo Fighters, Personal- Stars, Dosed- RHCP, Waiting- City and Colour, Cupid de Locke- The Smashing Pumpkins**

**Chapter 2: Show Love with No Remorse**

It was late, and they had school in the morning. So like any responsible teenagers, they were asleep. And like any enamored lovers, they shared a bed.

The longhaired brunette was shaking, tossing and turning in his sleep, whimpering and moaning. It had been enough to awaken the presence beside him. The other boy, now awake, immediately noted the state of his poor dreaming lover. He took in a sharp breath, the muscles on his bare torso tensing. Then, he sighed, watching forlornly as the brunette fought his imaginary demons. That was all he could do after all: watch.

It was damned near impossible to wake the brunette when he had these night terrors. The boy had tried many times in the past to no avail. The brunette would toss and moan, but it was all that the muscled boy could do to whisper sweet nothings to his love, to hold him and stroke his soft, beautiful tresses. But this day, the boy could tell that the nightmare was nearly over, and soon, the brunette would awaken, white eyes so very wide and fearful, mimicking those of an insane man. From there, it would be the boy's job to console the inconsolable, almost as useless as a parent's attempt to calm a baby with colic.

The brunette snapped awake with a gasp, immediately sitting up. He began to scream, clawing at some remnant of his dream. "No!! No!! Stop!!!" he cried. "Please, no!!" He bit his lip, drawing blood, and began to claw at himself. At this horrifying sight, the other boy jumped into action. He grabbed the brunette, pulling him into his arms. The brunette struggled and cried out. "No! Stop!! Let me go!!" Though it was difficult, the boy managed to overpower the brunette, trying to stop him from causing more damage to the room or his own body. But then, then the brunette screamed something that even his lover never expected: "_Chichiue!!!_"**(1)** Shocked at the brunette's shout, the boy unwittingly released him, allowing the other to escape and begin to battle his nightmare once again. It was when his lover began to claw at his own face that the boy snapped back into reality. He wrestled the brunette back into his arms, pinioning the other so that he could cause no more harm to himself.

"Neji!!" the boy shouted desperately over the brunette's screams, "Please, snap out of it!" At the sound of his name, Neji only struggled more. Summoning all of his strength, he pushed the stronger boy off of him, bellowing, "_Let me go!!_" He then kicked his lover in the chest with enough force to send him flying off of the bed. Gritting his teeth, the now injured boy snapped, tackling the brunette and pinning him to the bed.

The brunette struggled to no avail; the force pinning him was far too strong. Out of options, he knew that he was doomed. Genuine tears began to flow down his cheeks. He sobbed, calling the only name that he could think of, "Lee! Lee! Make it stop! Lee! I need you! Lee!!!" The other boy's eyes widened at the sound of his own name. Heartbroken and guilt-ridden, Lee loosened his grip on Neji. He rolled over, pulling the brunette gently and lovingly into his arms.

"Shh…Neji, it is all right," he murmured above the other's sobs. "I am here; Lee is here. I will protect you. Please do not cry anymore, love." Neji calmed, curling into Lee's warmth.

"Lee," he called softly, as his breathing became regular and his tears stopped falling. Lee sighed deeply as he felt the brunette fall into a normal sleep pattern. He shook his head, knowing that the night terror was over.

"That was the worst that I have seen in a while," he uttered to no one in particular. He was well aware that Neji almost never had more than one of these night terrors in one night, but just in case, he pulled the brunette closer to himself, so that he would know immediately if that night was one of those rare exceptions.

It was not until morning that Lee realized that he had, in fact, fallen back asleep. He sighed as he looked at the clock; he had slept through his alarm again and missed his morning jog. Running a hand through his thick black locks, he whispered, "Man, what a night…" A soft groan alerted him to the presence that still lay snuggled up next to him. Lee chuckled softly, shaking his head. "What am I going to do with you?" he inquired fondly, kissing the brunette's forehead lightly. Neji stirred.

Still half-asleep, he mumbled something incoherent and unintelligible. Lee grinned, "And good morning to you to you too, Sleepy-head." Neji continued to mumble and settled himself in the crook of Lee's neck. The latter sighed again, "I suppose that I could give you five more minutes, but only because you are so cute." Neji merely nuzzled Lee in response. "…I will take that as a 'Thank you'." Closing his eyes, the black-haired boy reveled in the moment. Though Neji's night terrors were absolutely execrable, it was mornings like this one that made everything worthwhile. Just having his beautiful Neji snuggled up against him was enough for Lee. How he hated to wake him in this peaceful moment! But it was another day, and they had a family to take care of (well, it was more Neji's responsibility than Lee's…though Lee prided himself in the fact that he was able to help out some).

Lee sat himself up and began to lightly shake his lover. "Neji," he called, "time to wake up, love." Neji simply wrapped his arms around Lee's stomach, pulled him back down into a lying position, and continued to sleep. Lee sighed yet again, "You know, if you keep this up, you might take Shikamaru's position as the least morning-person alive."

Shifting slightly, Neji muttered, "…Don't care." Though it was muffled by Lee's chest.

"He speaks!" Lee cried. "Hallelujah!" Neji's breathing proceeded to even out yet again. "Oh no! Do not go back to sleep!"

"…I'm tired; you're tired. Let's just sleep all day," Neji managed.

"Love, even if I wanted to, we cannot do that. We both have school today, and what about Hinata-chan and Hanabi-chan?"

"…Doesn't matter what you want; we're sleeping in." It was not incorrect to say that Lee was rendered speechless for a few moments at that remark.

"Ugh!" he groaned after a second, "You are _so_ troublesome!"

Neji smirked sleepily, "Now who's Shikamaru…?"

"All right fine! We will sleep in a little while longer, but if we are late, I am going to get you for it Hyuuga Neji!" Neji smiled, curling up in Lee's arms, drawing a sigh from his lover. "Like I said, you are just lucky that you are cute."

"I love you too, Lee…" With that, Neji drifted off, while Lee sulked. They lay that way for a while, and would have remained there longer were it not for the beeping of Neji's alarm clock.

At the sudden dissonance, Neji's opalescent eyes snapped open, and he sprang out of the bed crying, "Oh my God, I forgot about breakfast!!" He ran from the room, leaving his confused boyfriend alone. Lee blinked, no words truly able to epitomize his shock.

"…The more that I am around him…the more that I realize that I have absolutely no idea as to the inner workings of his mind. What just happened?" Shaking his head, Lee decided that it was best to follow his lover. He walked through the hall and down the stairs to the smell of bacon and eggs cooking. "Neji?" Lee called as he entered the kitchen. He passed the table only to find Neji at the stove. The brunette turned, beaming sleepily.

"Thanks for waking me, Lee," he murmured. Lee hugged the white-eyed boy from behind, gently kissing his fair neck.

"In all fairness, love, I think that you woke yourself up." Neji merely smiled in response, but when he turned to kiss the taller boy, he faltered, noticing the tip of a dark purple splotch near the collar of his lover's shirt. Neji blinked, pulling the collar down to reveal a nasty bruise.

"Lee," he began, voice breathy, "what happened here?" Lee looked down, and it dawned on him. He gulped, knowing exactly where the injury had come from.

"I…I-I must have hit myself last night…in my sleep," he lied. Neji's brows furrowed.

"Lee," he started a tad angry, "don't lie to me; I know you are." Lee refused to look Neji in his beautiful, pearl-like eyes.

"You…had another night terror last night," he confessed, hoping that perhaps Neji would not hear him and would just forget about the whole thing. Unfortunately, such was not the case, as Neji's eyes widened.

"Y-you mean to say that I did this to you?" he whispered breathlessly. Lee nodded hesitantly. With that confirmation, Neji threw his arms around his lover, kissing the wound repeatedly. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! Oh, Lee, I'm so, so sorry!!" Neji continued on like this until Lee wrapped his arms around the brunette, shushing him.

"It is all right, Neji-love. I know you did not mean it. You could not help it. You are not yourself when you have these episodes." Neji nodded, gripping Lee's shirt for dear life.

"Oh, Lee, how do you put up with me?" he inquired softly, arms wrapped tightly around his dearest love.

"I love you, Neji. I love you, and that is all there is to it."

They stayed in each other's arms for what seemed like ages. Finally, Lee whispered, "Neji-love, I think breakfast is burning…" Neji snapped up with a gasp and ran to the stove, attempting to salvage the ruined meal; Lee merely shook his head. "Neji," he continued, "you just worry about breakfast; I will wake Hinata-chan and Hanabi-chan."

"Thanks, Lee. I owe you one…no," he thought of his boyfriend's injury. "No, I owe you two. Tonight, anything you want, you get." Lee chuckled, before kissing Neji again.

"I will keep that in mind, Neji-koi." With that, Lee headed upstairs to wake the rest of the family. As he walked across the hall to Hinata's room, he realized that the fact that they overslept could have been disastrous. He smiled, "Good thing, Hinata-chan does not have morning practice today." He knocked on the door. "Hinata-chan," Lee called, "May I come in." There was no response, and Lee's thick brows furrowed.

He opened the door. Hinata lay fast asleep on her bed, her long violet locks strewn about her. "Hinata-chan," he repeated as he approached the bed, "time to wake up." Hinata merely mumbled in response, her voice muffled by the pillow. Lee shook his head. "Just like her brother," he mused. But, then again, Hinata and Neji, no matter how close or similar, were not siblings. They were only first cousins. They may have grown up together, but that did not change the fact that they were extended family.

Deciding to be more assertive, Lee shook Hinata until her pearl-like eyes opened. "Oh…Lee-kun…G-good morning." She beamed, a slight blush ever-present on her fair cheeks.

"Good morning, Hinata-chan," Lee replied fondly. "Did you sleep well?" The bright-eyed girl's face fell at the question.

"Oh…um…well…I-I heard you a-and Neji-nii-san…last night." Lee sighed, knowing exactly what she meant. Lee just hoped that it had not worried her too much. He knew how sensitive the shy girl could be. Even so, he also knew that Hinata was strong enough deal with her fears and concerns. He was more worried about Hanabi. She was so young; hearing her cousin—no—older brother scream like that was definitely too much for an eleven-year-old to handle.

"I see," was all Lee could bring himself to say.

"W-was he…as bad as h-he sounded?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"Well," Lee began optimistically, "he has been worse." Lee smiled, placing a comforting hand on Hinata's shoulder. "Cheer up, Hinata-chan; he is much better this morning (just a little tired). You know Neji, he is very strong." Hinata perked up a bit at Lee's explanation.

"L-lee-kun," she began, "I-I'll wake Imouto-chan. Y-you just…keep Neji-nii-san company." Lee grinned.

"All right, then. See you in a couple minutes." He began to walk away when he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, and, Hinata-chan?"

"Y-yes?"

"Please do not mention any of this to Neji. He would be heart-broken were he to know that you had heard him last night." Hinata nodded, understanding completely.

"Y-yes…I-I know, Lee-kun. Th-thank you." Lee raised an eyebrow.

"For what?"

"For t-taking care of him…h-he needs someone l-like you, L-lee-kun." Lee smiled softly and genuinely. He clasped the violet-haired girl's shoulder tenderly before striding back out the door.

"Meet you downstairs," he called as he exited. Hinata just smiled.

Lee reentered the kitchen and could have squealed at the sight that he was met with. Breakfast was all set up, and Neji was fast asleep, head buried in his arms. "Why does he have to be so cute?" Still, no matter how cute that the brunette was, Lee knew that it was best to wake the sleepy boy up. He grinned mischievously, knowing the perfect way to do so.

Lee snuck over behind Neji, leaned down, and began tickling the brunette's sides. Neji giggled softly in his sleep, though, it was muffled by the kitchen table. Smirking, Lee began tickling more aggressively, though, apparently it was not such a good idea, as Neji, instead of laughing, snapped awake and punched Lee in the face.

Neji blinked, noticing his boyfriend on the ground in front of him. "Lee…are you okay? Why are you on the floor?" Lee grinned sheepishly, knowing that he had a black eye now…and probably looked something like Gaara.

"_I guess I probably should have seen that one coming,"_ Lee mused inwardly. "I am fine, Neji-koi," he replied aloud. Neji smiled; he knelt down to be at Lee's level before moving into the taller boy's lap. He lightly kissed the affected eye, prompting a warm smile from his lover. They remained silent for a while afterwards, both lost in their own turbulent thoughts.

"Neji," Lee murmured seriously, "what was your dream about last night?" Neji stiffened visibly. He looked down as if thinking, and Lee's instinct screamed that he was a moron for asking such a question. But then, the brunette looked up. White eyes met their opposite black, and Lee nearly gasped. Neji stared at him with an expression of such suffering, such deep despair that Lee was sure that not even a river of tears could express the brunette's inner turmoil. Lee felt tears burn his eyes, and yet, he could not seem to tear his gaze away from those precious silvery eyes.

Finally, Lee snapped himself out of his trance (he always felt entranced when his love turned that opalescent gaze his way). In one swift motion, he pulled Neji close, so very close, and held him like the world around them was burning. "Poor thing," he whispered, "You poor, poor thing." It was all that he could bring himself to say. Neji said nothing; he merely closed his eyes and leaned into Lee's touch.

This always happened to the brunette when his boyfriend held him like this. He lost all coherent thought when those warm arms enveloped him. He wanted nothing more than to melt into Lee, to become part of him and never leave his side. They would live together, and they would die together. There would be no power on Earth that could possibly separate them. Neji could rest, surrounded by all that was Rock Lee forevermore.

He sighed. It may have been his dream, his secret wish, but that did not make it any less ridiculous. "Lee," he broke the silence, gently nuzzling the bare skin of his lover's neck. "Hinata and Hanabi are coming…" He trailed off there, but Lee knew exactly what the love of his life wanted. He did not even question how it was that Neji knew that his cousins were coming; he just stood up, with Neji still in his arms, and waltzed over to the table, his favorite brunette in toe. Not five seconds later, Hinata and Hanabi entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, Neji-nii-san," Hinata greeted sheepishly. Neji smiled softly, before pulling her into a hug.

"Morning," he replied, albeit sleepily.

"Morning, Nii-chan, Lee," Hanabi yawned out as she sat herself down on the nearest chair. But she, being the cunning little girl that she was, immediately noticed something amiss. "Nii-chan, you set five places," she observed. Neji chuckled.

"I did," he responded simply, parrot-like.

"But there are only four of us-" she was about to continue further when the kitchen window opened from the outside. An orange clad leg popped through, followed by another, then a black torso, and finally, a head, marked by a tuft of blond hair.

"Mornin', neighbors!" greeted the blond cheerfully. He casually saluted the family at the table. Neji shook his head, being the only person in the room _not_ in shock (especially after that entrance).

"Uh…Naruto-kun," Lee began, finally finding it in himself to speak, "you could have used the door." Naruto merely waved off the thought.

"Aw, pshaw! Don't be a hypocrite, Geji-mayu. You don't use the door either." Lee blushed and remained silent, unable to deny the truth. Neji kissed his cheek comfortingly.

"Come on, Naruto. He wouldn't be the same romantic Lee if he used a door." Lee smiled softly as he remembered all of the times that he used to sneak into Neji's room at night. Back when Hiashi, Neji's uncle and Hinata and Hanabi's father, was still alive. Proud Hiashi all but chased Lee out with a shotgun when he had first found Neji and Lee curled up together in bed (Lee swears to the fact that they were not doing anything questionable).

Lee's smile only grew when Neji moved from his seat to the obsidian-eyed boy's warm lap. And when that brunette turned towards him with that beautiful smile and those bright silvery eyes, Lee wanted to sigh like a schoolgirl with a huge crush. _"I must be the luckiest guy on Earth,"_ he thought as he captured those soft rosy lips in a loving kiss.

"Hey!" Naruto cried in mock-disgust. "No making-out at the table!" Neji broke the kiss, glaring at the source of the shout, but still unable to hide the rising blush on his face.

"Thanks a lot, Naruto-kun!" Lee retaliated as he jokingly flicked the blonde's forehead. "I will have you know that I was thoroughly enjoying that!" If the brunette thought that he was blushing madly before, from the more recent comment, he was absolutely scarlet. His face was burning like Hinata's on a bad day. Across the table, the youngest member of the household was wondering if this trait ran in the family.

Meanwhile, Lee, having noticed the furious redness that threatened to envelop Neji's entire face, smirked smugly. For reasons yet unknown, the black-haired boy absolutely loved to be the one to invoke such adorable reactions from his boyfriend. "You know," Lee began to Neji just loud enough for only the other boy to hear. "I am quite curious to see just how far down that blush of yours goes." Lee waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Neji jerked away from the other boy suddenly, screaming, "_LEE!!!_" accusingly (not to mention catching the attention of the rest of the table). Lee simply laughed whole-heartedly in response as the brunette in his lap began to sulk. "I am sorry, Neji-love," he apologized sincerely. "I simply could not help myself."

Exasperated, Neji sighed, leaning back against Lee's muscled chest. Contented with this seating arrangement, Lee kissed the top of Neji's head softly. Next to them, Hinata, blushing furiously at Naruto's presence, asked, "N-n-naruto-k-kun…a-are you s-staying for b-breakfast?" The blond nodded eagerly.

"Yup! Nothing like Neji's home-cooking to start out the day!" With that exclamation, Neji's eyes widened. He groaned, rubbing his temples.

"Oh, God, I am _so_ stupid!" The rest of the table stared at the brunette, confused.

"Don't tell me…" The attention of the table focused to Hanabi as she spoke, flabbergasted. "Nii-chan, you didn't foresee Naruto's coming and then forget to make extra food for him, did you?"

Neji proceeded to sigh again. "I may have…in my haste."

Naruto gaped at the supposedly "bright and collected genius." "_What?!_" he cried, arms flailing. "No way! You have got to be kidding me!"

Hanabi smirked, "What? Naru-nii-chan, come on, you've known Nii-chan all your life and you're surprised by this?" Naruto glowered at the smug girl.

Lee chuckled, "That is my Neji-koi; he would lose his head were it not attached at his neck!" He then kissed his brunette fondly. Still, the clear-eyed boy looked crestfallen at his lack of nourishment. Neji's eyes softened, smiling.

"Naruto," he called, catching said boy's attention. "Don't worry; you can have my share." Naruto cheered.

"Thanks, Neji, you're the best!" Lee, however, did not seem quite as pleased with that suggestion, as his brows furrowed.

"Neji…" he admonished softly, but before he could get another word out, Neji murmured, "It's all right, Lee. I'm not very hungry." That did nothing to stifle Lee's worry. The white-eyed boy attempted to grin to show his love that everything was fine, but all that Lee saw was a forced, exhausted smile. Lee shook his head; Neji's eyes always gave him away. Still, Lee knew that Neji was a stubborn one, and when he set his mind on _anything_, there was no stopping him. The two exchanged no more words on the subject, but Lee held Neji closer than he had all morning.

"So, Naruto," Neji began awkwardly as he watched the boy shovel food into his mouth. "You're going to be late to pick Gaara up if you wait much longer."

Naruto swallowed a rather large gulp of eggs before replying, "Gaa-chan's not coming today." At this explanation, Lee stiffened visibly, though Neji was the only one who noticed. He gave Lee a look, which the onyx-eyed boy inadvertently ignored.

"What's wrong with him?" Lee asked anxiously. Naruto shrugged.

"I dunno, but Temari called me before I came over here. Apparently, he's pretty sick."

"Th-that's too bad…" Hinata cut in softly. Naruto nodded, a serious look on his face.

"Well, on the Brightside," he continued, "I get to walk with you guys!" Hinata blushed a fiery red as Naruto put a hand on her shoulder.

"You're not going to bike?" asked Neji. The blond laughed in response.

"Nah, biking's no fun without Gaa-chan holding onto me for dear life." Neji simply smiled and shook his head at the thought.

"Sadist." Naruto stuck out his tongue. The two really were like brothers sometimes.

"Jerk!" Suddenly, Naruto blinked. "Wait, I have a good idea!-"

"That's a first," Neji cut in snidely.

"Shut up, Neji! Well, anyway, Hinata, Geji-mayu, why don't we go visit Gaa-chan after school? That outta keep his spirits up!" Hinata simply beamed at the idea. Lee, however, only nodded, lacking his normal youthful vigor. This did not go unnoticed by Neji either.

"I guess I'll just see you guys after work then," the brunette murmured.

"Neji-nii-san…" Neji looked towards his violet-haired cousin with an expression of innocent curiosity. Hinata just shook her head. "No…it's nothing." Neji's brows furrowed.

"If you're sure…"

"Well, I guess Nii-chan and I are going to be the responsible ones here," Hanabi interjected. "I'm coming straight home after school to work on the shrine." Naruto scowled at the youngest member of the family.

"Don't be such a smart-ass Hana-chan!" he shouted. The pretty young girl simply rolled her silvery eyes. It was a rather uneventful conversation following that exclamation. Naruto had asked the blushing violet-haired girl beside him why she was not at morning practice. Hinata managed to stammer out that she had the day off until tomorrow when she had morning and evening practice.

"Sheesh," Naruto exclaimed, awe-struck. "You swimmers are nuts! Morning and evening practice everyday?!"

"Almost everyday," Neji corrected, "and only during season." Hanabi and Naruto then got into another argument about God-knows-what. Hinata unobtrusively scooted as far away from the two as possible, in case things got violent (it's not like it hasn't happened before). Lee, however, remained uncharacteristically quiet throughout the rest of the meal, which unnerved Neji greatly. Finally, it was time for everyone to leave for school. Naruto, Hinata, and Hanabi went to get their bags together, leaving Lee and his love in the kitchen.

"Lee," Neji called, catching Lee before he left the room. Lee turned to show the brunette that he had heard him. "What's wrong? You've been awfully quiet since Naruto mentioned Gaara." The onyx-eyed boy sighed, not meeting Neji's eyes.

"I am not sure why…but I have a bad feeling. At first, I thought that it was just left over tension from last night, but the feeling intensified once Naruto-kun mentioned that Gaara-kun had fallen ill." He approached the white-eyed boy, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I do not like this, Neji." Said brunette grew stern at this confession.

Lee had a bad feeling, and that was _never_ a good thing. Even though the black-haired boy did not have The Sight like Neji (occasionally Hinata or Hanabi and very rarely Naruto), Lee had an incredible intuition that rivaled even the greatest of seers, the only difference being that Lee never knew exactly what it was that was going to occur; he only sensed enough to know that something was coming. And from the way this "something" was making Lee act, almost unyouthful, Neji was certain that the something was bad. Very, very bad, and most of all, it involved Gaara, one of Lee and Naruto's favorite people.

"Do you know anything else?" Neji found himself asking hopefully. The other simply shook his head.

"I am sorry, love. You know that I do not. We will not be able to tell what it is until it becomes so eminent that you have a vision about it yourself." The brunette sighed.

"I know…"

Before the two could continue the conversation any further, a loud-mouthed blond began shouting from the front door, "Hey, Neji, Geji-mayu! Get your asses over here! We're going to be late!" With that, Lee and Neji grabbed their bags, and the five of them headed off to either Konoha Township High School or Ho no Kuni Middle School.

As the group exited the house, the first thing that they came across was the shrine, Hyuuga Shrine to be exact. It was a rather large plot of land surrounded by a forest that included a small pond for purification rituals. Such rituals were only done by Neji, who, as the head priest, was occasionally paid to do exorcisms around the town. Such was the duty of the head priest of the Hyuuga Shrine. It was one of the two large shrines in the city of Konoha, the other being the Uchiha shrine. The Uchiha Shrine (run by the young and powerful head priest, Uchiha Itachi and his younger brother Sasuke) protected the town from lower level demons and evils by using the power of the elements, or Earth. Whereas the Hyuuga protected the town from high-level demons and cataclysms using the power endowed to them by Heaven. It was said that there could be only one Hyuuga at a time that could control the power of Heaven, the head priest or priestess. No one truly knew how this power was passed down or its intricacies, and, at that time, the chosen one was Hyuuga Neji (most people suspected that once Hyuuga Hiashi passed away, the power went to the next eldest with Hyuuga blood, who happened to be Neji himself, but how true this hypothesis was, was unknown). In Konoha folklore, it was also said that there was a third Shrine in existence, one whose name was lost over the centuries. It was said that the keeper of this Shrine held the power of Hell in his or her own two hands, but such was only a rumor, a tale that the elderly told their grandchildren to keep them on their toes.

From the time that the five kids walked to school (dropping Hanabi off at the middle school first) to lunch, hours later, the day had been mundane. Distraction after distraction, academics, homework done and not done, and heavy workloads (particularly for Neji and Lee, the juniors). It was not until fifth period, Neji and Lee's lunch, that something out of the ordinary occurred.

Lee sat next to his locker, taking out the lunch that his lover had hastily made for him in the morning. It was only a sandwich, but Neji had away of making anything taste delicious. Distracting himself by taking a rather large bite, Lee did not realize the presence of another person beside him until he heard the distinctive dissonance of something banging against a locker.

The onyx-eyed boy started, looking up in time to see a lovely brunette slam his back against the wall and slump to the ground, letting out a soft groan. Neji was not a huge fan of PDAs (which contrasted with Lee's deep-seated desire to be as affectionate as possible wherever they may be), but when Lee reached over and pulled said Hyuuga into his lap, the brunette merely closed his eyes and sighed. Lee chose not to say anything, simply allowing the white-eyed boy to rest in his arms.

"Where's Tenten?" Neji murmured. Lee kissed his cheek lovingly.

"She had to talk to Anko-sensei. She will be around soon enough." Neji nodded softly. It was strange to be around the school with out their chestnut-haired companion. They were something akin to The Three Musketeers, never separated unless absolutely necessary. Tenten was their dear friend, and they owed _a lot_ to her. After all, it was she who first introduced Neji to Lee.

"It's weird," Neji began, completely off-topic (quite unlike himself), "Shikamaru wasn't in history today." Lee nodded, attempting not to show the overly exhausted boy just how concerned he was for him.

"Maybe no one else could stay home with Gaara-kun. He must be rather ill." Neji made a soft non-committal sound in agreement before settling himself in the crook of Lee's neck.

"I'm so tired," he managed. Lee nodded again, worried beyond belief. He had never seen Neji like this, even after a night terror. That high, dreamy quality to the brunette's voice was beginning to scare him, as well as his unnatural pallor and strange thought process.

"Neji-koi, would you like something to eat? Perhaps that will make you feel better." Neji simply shook his head, eyes still closed.

"I'm not hungry…thanks though. I just want to get some sleep…" Neji trailed off. Lee did not know what to do anymore. Neji would not eat; he had not eaten all day. Barely half of the school day was over, and Neji had work afterwards (there was no way that he would let Lee convince him to take a day off). Lee was worried that all of this stress might be killing his one true love. "Oh, Lee," Neji murmured suddenly, "you're so warm…like a furnace." Lee smiled sadly.

Dropping the softest of kisses to the brunette's forehead he whispered, "Shh…go to sleep, my love. I will be right here. Shh…" Neji did not have to be told twice. Lee watched on solemnly as Neji's breathing evened out with sleep, as those pearl-like eyes slipped shut. For some reason, he had that bad feeling again. Lee had lost his appetite.

Time ticked on slowly. At some point, Neji stirred, but Lee soothed the poor brunette back to sleep by stroking his hair. For reasons unknown, as he looked on at the sleeping boy, Lee felt like crying. "What am I going to do with you?" he whispered softly.

"You really love him, don't you?" Lee started, looking up only to find a girl staring down at him with concerned hazel eyes.

"Oh, Tenten-chan, I did not see you there. How long have you been here?" Tenten slumped to the ground with a shrug, which Lee interpreted as an "Awhile." She sighed. "What is wrong, my youthful companion? Did Anko-sensei give you a hard time?" The girl laughed dryly.

"You know, Lee," she began, poking the other playfully, "sometimes I think you call me that just 'cause you know I hate it." Lee laughed nervously, knowing that he had been caught red-handed. "Seriously though, that's not it." The onyx-eyed boy blinked.

"If that is not it, then what is?" Tenten rested her arm on his shoulder before placing her other hand on the sleeping Neji.

"Call me crazy, but sometimes, when I look at the two of you, especially lately, I…I feel like you two are gonna destroy yourselves over each other." She smiled sadly. "Then, I'd be all alone." Lee's eyes widened as he turned towards her.

"Tenten…" he whispered breathlessly, leaving out his usual honorific. "What in the world gave you that idea?" Again, Tenten shrugged.

"Hey, I said, 'Call me crazy,' didn't I? Still, I feel like Neji's been keeping something from us for a long time, something bad. And…well…he's already lost it in the past…sometimes, I just don't think either of you could survive a second time." Lee stared down at the love of his life, again wanting to cry.

Placing the softest of kisses on the brunette's exposed ear, he murmured, "I cannot argue with you there…but, still…" he trailed off.

"What?"

"If I start to go down with Neji, I know that you would snap me out of it." Tenten raised an eyebrow, but Lee only chuckled. "Trust me; you would. Sometimes, I think that I know you two better than you know yourselves." Tenten tousled Lee's hair.

"When did you get so cocky? You're still the baby of our family** (2)**; don't you forget it!" Though Tenten would never admit it, at Lee's prior statement, she felt something akin to pride rise in her chest. Lee just smiled that big, sappy smile of his.

Even so, that smile soon faded as the two of them grew quiet. Neji shifted in Lee's lap, whimpering barely audibly. Lee and Tenten exchanged worried glances before Tenten motioned for Lee to comfort the poor thing. The black-haired boy moved to stroke those beautiful dark tresses again, but he immediately pulled back as Neji snapped up with a gasp.

The brunette moved to attack something; Lee could tell. But before he could so much as move a muscle, Lee was there, holding him close. "Shh," he comforted, "Shh…it was just a dream." Neji seemed to relax in Lee's embrace. Tenten simply looked on, amazed.

"Lee…wha-?" The aforementioned kissed his forehead lovingly.

"Neji-chan, what did you dream about?" Neji smiled dazedly at Tenten.

"Ten…when did you get here?" Tenten shrugged, moving to hug the brunette, which Neji gladly returned. "Besides, I told you not to call me that." The girl grinned, lightly flicking his forehead.

"It suits you, _Ne-chan_, and I can call you whatever I want." Neji glared half-heartedly. "Still, you didn't answer my question." The brunette sighed, his face falling.

"It wasn't a dream, Tenten; it was a vision." Just the fact that Neji called his female companion by her full name alerted both Lee and Tenten that something significant was happening. They both immediately dropped what they were doing and grew serious.

"What happened?" Lee asked nervously, wondering if it had something to do with his instincts flaring up earlier that day.

"I'm not really sure," Neji began uncertainly. He pressed a hand to his head. "It's really fuzzy, hard to make anything from it. But, it was dark, and…I'm almost positive that Shikamaru was there."

Tenten cocked an eyebrow. "Shikamaru?" Neji nodded.

"Yeah, and he definitely didn't look happy about something."

Tenten sighed, "Well, that helps."

"Hey! It's not like I can control it!" Tenten pat his head lightly.

"I know; I was just teasing." Lee smiled at his two dearest friends as they bickered. He pulled the brunette closer.

"Well, it cannot be helped. Neji-koi, why do you not get some more sleep; there are still twenty minutes left in the period." Nuzzling Lee's neck lightly, he nodded, letting out a small yawn.

"I think I might have to take you up on that. Thanks, L-"

"What's this, Hyuuga Neji? Have you been cheating on me?! I come all this way to see you, and here I find you in the arms of another man!" Lee and Tenten blinked, staring confusedly at one another before looking up to find themselves staring at an infamous underclassman.

His spiky obsidian hair glistened with midnight blue highlights under the fluorescent lighting. Gazing down smugly at Neji and Lee with those icy black eyes, he smirked in a way that made fangirls all over the world faint. It was none other than Uchiha Sasuke.

Neji smiled up from where he sat in Lee's lap, staring at Sasuke with silvery bedroom eyes. "Sorry, love," he murmured, "I'm a bit tired today, and Lee does make a great pillow. But don't fret; I'll be all yours tonight." He winked. Sasuke knelt down, pulling Neji out of Lee's lap and into his own.

"Forget tonight. How about right now?" he raised his eyebrows suggestively. The brunette cupped Sasuke's cheek, turning his head so that the two were staring eye to eye.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun, you're so bad."

"You know it." With that, Sasuke leaned down, eyes never leaving Neji's opalescent gaze. Their noses barely grazed.

"_Oh would you to cut that out!"_ Tenten cried, barely able to hide her own nosebleed. "I can never tell if you're kidding or not!" Neji grinned and moved to speak, but he was stopped short as strong arms encircled him, pulling him away from Sasuke into a muscled chest and warm lap.

"Sorry, Sasuke-kun," Lee smirked as he pulled Neji closer, "but if you want this one, you are going to have to fight me for him."

"_Oh for the love of God, not you too, Lee!"_ Tenten shouted in protest.

Seemingly ignoring Tenten's outburst, Sasuke continued, "Any place, anytime." But Neji would have none of it.

"Oh, please," he cried overdramatically, "don't fight over little old me!" The three laughed as they heard a cry of "Screw you guys; I give up!" Sasuke placed a hand on Neji's shoulder.

"Later, I actually have to get back to class." Neji nodded.

"See you ninth period, then." Sasuke stood and walked off, hands in his pockets.

"See ya, Neji, Lee, Tenten," he called with a nonchalant wave.

"Good-bye, Sasuke-kun," Lee cried before adding, "Say hello to Sakura-san for me!" Tenten merely waved.

Neji called a soft, "Bye." But, as Sasuke finally walked out of sight, Neji collapsed in an exhausted heap on the floor. Tenten was absolutely shocked at her best friend's sudden change in behavior, whereas Lee simply looked on knowingly. He pulled the poor thing back into his lap.

"Sorry about the act, guys," Neji murmured as he curled closer into Lee's lap. "I just couldn't show Sasuke how tired I really was." He yawned, eyes half-lidded. "You know, you guys are the only people I can show weakness to." His speech was beginning to slur, but even so, he got his point across. Tenten nodded solemnly; Lee, however, was in shock. It was not as if he did not already know this about the brunette, but the fact that he would even voice it was absurdly unlike him. Neji _never_ talked about himself, especially in a context like this. "I can't be weak," he continued, voice wavering. "Especially with Hinata, Hanabi, and Naruto…I have to take care of them. I promised Hiashi-oji on his grave that I would…I promised that I'd be there…" Neji hid his face, knowing that he was about to cry. "I promised that I would stand tall, and they could always, _always_ lean on me, but…" Lee could have sworn that he felt tears wetting his clothes. "It's just so hard, sometimes. It's so hard…" Neji trailed off, the only sound being his soft sniffles as he attempted to compose himself.

"Oh, Neji," Tenten whispered, her own lip quivering. "Neji, just how much have you been keeping from us?" She dreaded the answer, but the chestnut-haired girl knew that the question had to be asked.

"…E-e-everything!" Neji burst out, sobbing. He could no longer contain himself. Neji, Lee and Tenten's dearest friend, their genius, their pillar, was breaking right in front of them. What could they do? Unable to think of an answer, Lee simply held Neji as he sobbed, gently rocking him back and forth, cradling the brunette in his strong arms.

Lee could not help the tears that streamed down his cheeks. "Love," he choked out, "Please, just try to get some rest. I cannot do anything for you but let you sleep in my arms…so please j-just go to sleep."

"L-lee," Neji managed to cry out. Lee lightly kissed the top of his head.

"Shh…please, my love," he began, softer this time. "You are just exhausted; please, go to sleep. Things will feel different when you wake up." Neji nodded, shaking. The black-haired boy began to rock him again, gently stroking his coffee brown locks. Finally, he soothed the brunette into a dazed, barely conscious state. Neji's breath evened out with sleep. Lee sighed, holding the brunette lovingly.

"In all the years that I've known him," began Tenten, overwhelmed, "I have _never_ seen him _anything_ like that." Lee shook his head.

"Nor have I. I am worried, Tenten-chan." Tenten nodded in agreement.

Lee then sighed, taking a moment just to admire the gorgeous creature asleep in his arms. He was paler than usual, juxtaposing beautifully with his deep umber tresses. Still, there were dark circles visible under his eyes; Lee wondered vaguely how someone that seemed so sick could still look so angelic and radiant. He lightly stroked the brunette's pale cheek, soft as silk. Neji groaned softly, shifting closer into Lee's warmth. "Oh, dear Neji," he murmured just loud enough for the sleeping boy to hear, "Why art thou yet so fair?"**(3)**. As predicted, Neji made no visible response.

The onyx-eyed boy wished that their lunch period could last forever. Neji so desperately needed rest, but even Lee realized that stopping time was impossible. Sometimes, Lee knew when there were limitations that he simply could not surpass, even with the power of hard work.

Tenten watched Lee dote on his love with amazement. "You two are so close," she began softly. Lee blinked, looking up to meet her hazel eyes.

"Are we?" he asked, a bit dazed. Tenten chuckled.

"Yes," she answered with as much confidence as she could muster. "Trust me, Lee, I know Neji, and there is no person on this Earth that he cares more for." Lee blushed.

"You think?"

Tenten shook her head, wondering how the other could possibly doubt such a thing. Lee was just so dense sometimes. "Lee, he would _die_ for you. A thousand times over. End of story." Lee looked up, a strange awed expression on his face. Then, he smiled, a soft, beaming smile that seemed to just light up the whole hallway.

"And I for him," he added quietly. Again, the girl beside him chuckled.

"You two are funny that way," she noted, grinning. "You two would die for each other, and yet, he won't let you go further than a kiss." Lee's face fell.

"Thank you, Tenten-chan, that was exactly what I needed to hear." It was rare to hear Lee use sarcasm, but no one could deny his ability to. Tenten rolled her eyes.

"Oh don't be like that! It's true, isn't it?" Lee sighed, unable to deny the truth.

"Yes, it is true. And whenever I try to go further…he pushes me away." Lee sighed, running a hand through Neji's silky brown locks. "Sometimes, I wonder if maybe I am just not attractive enough for him." At this, Tenten burst out laughing.

"Ha! I never thought I'd hear you say that!" She grinned, slapping Lee on the back. "Lee, you're no Sasuke; I can tell you that. Still," her hazel eyes softened, "he loves you, Lee. When he looks at you or thinks of you…he glows. It's hard to explain, but, trust me, all this time, he's only had eyes for one guy, and that's you." Lee smiled.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Anyway, Nej's a priest. It's probably tradition for him to be celibate…or something. And you know how he is about tradition." However, the black-haired boy did not appear to be listening.

"Do not worry, Neji-koi," he murmured, lightly pecking the brunette's lips. "I will take care of you when you come home tonight,"

When the bell finally rang, Lee gently shook Neji awake. Pearl-like eyes blinked drowsily. "G'morning," the brunette slurred, a soft, sleepy smile on his face.

"A little late for that, love," Lee chuckled. Neji stretched, cat-like, waking himself up. Bringing himself to his feet, he grabbed his backpack.

"I have to go to English," he intoned. "I'll see you guys later." With that, he was off.

"He seemed fine enough," commented Tenten. Lee did not respond. He watched Neji run off with a somber gaze, as he just could not ignore the way the brunette shook as he grabbed his bag, or how his shoulders slumped as he walked. The onyx-eyed boy sighed. He was going to have his work cut out for him when Neji returned home after work.

The three of them did not have the chance to meet again until the last class of the day: theatre. One normally would not consider Lee, Neji, or Tenten to enjoy acting, but that they did. The three of them first began at Ho no Kuni Middle School, but none of them were particularly serious about it until they had their first class with the Konoha High theatre teachers: Maito Gai and Hatake Kakashi (the latter technically taught English but helped out in the theatre department, mostly to torment Gai). Then, when Sasuke and Gaara acted in _The Tempest_ for their freshman year English class, Lee and Neji practically dragged them to theatre, and, once in a while, they could convince Shikamaru to join in their entourage, but the only way to accomplish that was to have Gaara beg with puppy-dog eyes. It was surprisingly effective.

On that particular day, the class was between plays, so it was an uneventful period. Kakashi and Gai were bickering as usual (Tenten had begun to keep score). Even so, Lee could have sworn that he saw his favorite teacher glancing at Neji every so often with a worried expression. It seemed plausible as the brunette was not acting himself, and there was no teacher in that school who knew Neji better than Maito Gai.

The class passed fairly quickly, and, once the bell rang, Lee and Neji bid their teachers, Sasuke, and Tenten farewell as they went outside to meet Naruto and Hinata.

They met by the flagpole that held both the school's flag and the Konoha one, with the insignia of a spiral leaf. Neji had to leave almost immediately. He gave Hinata a quick hug, kissed Lee, and tousled Naruto's tuft of blond hair. "I'll see you guys after work," he mumbled as he strode off. The black-haired boy watched him leave with his deep obsidian gaze. His heart rose into his throat like bile, while his stomach sank into his lower abdomen, coming to rest somewhere near his intestines. As he watched Neji, _his_ Neji, leave, part of him seemed to curl up and die. He felt as if he was watching Neji leave him forever. He was helpless and never to see his lovely brunette ever again. Suddenly, Lee felt like crying again.

"Lee-kun," came Hinata's small voice. He looked to her with tired, sober eyes. With a sad smile, she gripped his hand and squeezed it. A simple, small gesture, yet powerful: such was the shy, violet-haired girl's way.

The taller boy turned to look at the Hyuuga beside him. Hinata stared with such intensity, especially with those rare silvery eyes of hers. They seemed to penetrate all, as if Lee's mind was on full display for the shy girl, yet, even so, those beautiful opalescent orbs had such a kindness to them. So soft they were; they almost seemed to whisper, "Don't be afraid."

Lee could not help the melancholy that shown in his own bright eyes as Hinata continued to stare. He sighed; there was so much Neji in her gaze. They shared something, something deep. It was all in those eyes. It almost seemed to be imprinted in the Hyuuga genome. The black-haired boy sometimes felt as though he could go insane if he stared at those eyes for too long. Still, it was almost impossible to look away.

"Oi! Earth to Geji-mayu," cried a loud-mouthed blond from beside the two. "We need to get going-ttebayo!" Lee blinked, only then realizing how long he had been entranced by Hinata's eyes.

"Oh, I am sorry, Naruto-kun," he uttered, dazed. Naruto threw an arm around Hinata's shoulders; she blushed furiously in response (it was a wonder that she did not faint).

"We should head to Gaa-chan's house," the blond continued. "It's not too far of a walk; it'll go quick if we hurry." With that, the three were on their way to the Sabaku-Akasuna household.

As Naruto described, the walk was rather quick. The blond animatedly told Hinata of his latest escapades with "Sasuke-teme" and "Sakura-chan," though it was more of Naruto getting in trouble with Iruka-sensei (one of his most favorite people) and his companions just happened to be there. The stories were obvious in their use of hyperbole, and Naruto was victimized a bit more than in actual events, but still, the violet-haired girl listened intently, laughing, smiling, and gazing fondly at the other.

Their relationship was an interesting one. The two of them had grown up together (being neighbors and all) and they consequently had an unbreakable bond. Sometimes, it seemed as though they could read each other's thoughts. Still, Hinata watched over Naruto with those warm, loving eyes of hers, and Naruto gave Hinata the courage to do almost anything. Even with all that, the critical part of their relationship was clear: the two were in love. Hinata was deeply infatuated with Naruto. The girl would do anything for him; she could barely touch him without fainting, and she wanted nothing more than to walk alongside him, as she was doing now. However, Naruto's love for Hinata was subconscious more than anything else. He thought that he only loved her as a sister. Even so, he thought that she was beautiful, he could tell her anything, and he would go through Hell and back just to see her smile. A strange relationship all right, and stranger still was the fact that, even though the two were clearly in love, Naruto was oblivious to both his and her feelings, and Hinata was just too scared to confess to the blond of her dreams.

As the two walked together, quite content, they did not notice as their older associate fell behind, lost in his own thoughts. Lee was worried; it seemed that so much had changed in twenty-four hours. It was so unusual for the muscled boy to be this anxious, and yet, anxiety seemed to be the only thing he had been feeling since Neji's night terror had awoken him the night prior. It had been a strange thought process as well: first he had been terrified for his lover, then for Gaara, then Neji again, and, at that moment, the two worries seemed to mix together to from one homogeneous uncertainty for the future. Lee could only hope that, perhaps, seeing Gaara safe would alleviate that anxiety, allowing for him to focus solely on his worry for Neji. And it seemed that he would get that chance, as, at that very second, the three of them were approaching Gaara's place of residence.

Naruto stretched out his arms as if yawning and shouted, "We're finally here!" Hinata giggled, smiling warmly at both of her companions. Lee smiled back, noting that it was the first time that he had genuinely done so in a long while. The three shared glances before approaching the house. It was a modest sized abode, homely and unique in its own way, but not overbearing. Lee smiled to himself; it was a bit like Gaara in a way. Naruto eagerly ran up to the front porch and rang the doorbell three times in quick succession—his signature ring.

It seemed as though just after the three had approached the house and rung the doorbell, the roar of an engine was clear in the air, as a beat-up motorcycle pulled into the driveway. The three high school students turned just in time to see the motorcyclist take off his helmet, revealing a bulky brunette: Kankuro.

Kankuro blinked as he stared at the unexpected group on his front porch. "What are you guys doing here?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"We're here to see Gaa-chan, Kankuro-nii,**(4)**" Naruto replied as said brunette sauntered over. Kankuro nodded.

"Good. The kid outta be happy to see you." Kankuro noted that the three had already been standing one the porch when he had arrived home. "Did you already ring the bell?" he questioned, putting two and two together. Naruto nodded.

"Yeah, there hasn't been any response though." The brunette sighed at that.

"Shik probably thinks it's a solicitor and is too lazy to answer." He shook his head at the thought. "I got my keys, so I'll just open-" He stopped short as the unmistakable click of locks being turned resounded from the other side of the door. "…Or not," Kankuro continued.

The door creaked open, but it was not Shikamaru who opened it; it was an incredibly ashen redhead. Sweat beaded down his face, colored peachy-pink from fever. It resembled rouge. The normally purple-black rings under and around his bright azure eyes were larger and even had a reddish tint to them. His eyes were dazed and half-lidded, and his body noticeably shook.

In short, Sabaku Gaara looked like death warmed over.

The four were visibly shocked as they stared at him, even Kankuro, who had seen Gaara only hours earlier. The redhead gazed sleepily at the group, though he had a weak smile on his face.

"Guys," he began softly, the usual monotonous quality to his voice was different, almost trance-like. "What are you doing h-" the redhead was unable to continue. Instead, he stumbled, moaning softly. With that, he swooned. Kankuro cried out, deep black eyes widening. He managed the catch his brother before the smaller could do anymore damage to his already fragile body by falling. He held the fainted boy close to his chest as he called his name repeatedly: "Gaara? Gaara! Otouto!"

Gaara stirred, blinking awake. "Wha-?" he uttered, barely audible. "N-nii-san, when did you get here?" If it were humanly possibly, Kankuro grew even more concerned, brows furrowing. Gaara almost never referred to his elder brother as such; it was unnerving to say the least. The brunette managed a smile through his worry.

"I've been here the whole time, Kiddo," he murmured. Gaara let his head lull onto his big brother's shoulder.

"That's nice," he mumbled. Kankuro looked up, sharing an anxious glance with Lee.

"Fever?" the younger boy mouthed. Kankuro checked his brother's forehead with that prompting. His eyes grew ever wider as he felt far over-heated flesh.

"Shit," he hissed, "he's burning!" Again, the redhead blinked.

"Nii-san?" he called in that soft, small voice of his. Kankuro forced himself to calm down.

"Come on, Otouto, let's get you inside." With a small grunt, Kankuro easily lifted his brother, carrying him with one arm behind his knees while the other supported his back, allowing Gaara's head to rest comfortably in the crook of the brunette's neck. Satisfied with this position, Kankuro headed to the redhead's room, the other three teenagers in toe.

Once in the room, the group found Shikamaru fast asleep on Gaara's bed. The genius looked absolutely exhausted, dead to the world. Part of Kankuro resented the boy for neglecting to take care of Gaara, since the redhead had forced himself out of bed to get the door, but the brunette knew better. Shikamaru was a heavy sleeper; Gaara was not. The redhead had probably been woken by the doorbell, and, being too selfless to possibly even conceive of waking his companion up, went to get the door himself. Kankuro shook his head: sometimes, his little brother's altruism was on the brink of stupidity.

Kankuro sighed, looking to the boy beside him, "Oi, Naruto, wake him up, will ya?" The blond complied, easily slapping Shikamaru awake. Said genius bolted upright, staring confusedly at the curious group of people in the room. Then, he spotted Gaara, lying half-asleep in Kankuro's strong arms. Immediately he forewent his confusion for concern.

"He better not have done what I think he did." The truth was obvious.

"He did," Kankuro replied simply.

Shikamaru trudged over to Kankuro, grabbed the redhead, and laid him on the bed, pulling the covers over him. Shaking his head, he turned to leave to go talk to Kankuro and the others, but Gaara had latched onto Shikamaru's arm as if it was a lifeline. The genius brushed back a bit of mussed-up, fiery bangs from Gaara's closed eyes, muttering, "You know, you're going to be the death of me." The redhead merely uttered a non-committal noise in response. Shikamaru sighed. "You're going to have to let go of me, eventually," he droned. Another non-committal noise and another sigh. Surrendering to Gaara's will, Shikamaru opted to sit down beside the redhead.

Meanwhile, across the room, Hinata saw something. It was not much and there was little to make from it, but there was certainly something. It could not be called a spark; it was not unexpected or sudden enough. No, it was more like a wave. Predictable but powerful. Still, it was soft, small, and, in a way, warm. This certain something was not completely alien to Hinata, but the fact that it was radiating off of Shikamaru and Gaara was odd indeed. It was more from Gaara, but, still, she could have sworn that she felt it from Shikamaru as well. Whatever this something was, it was not what one would call a "friend" vibe; it was more than that. Yet, it was not exactly what one would call "true love" either. No, it was that strong certainly, but different. Hinata knew love; she felt it often when she was around a certain blond. And she felt it from Shikamaru when he was with Temari, but this…this. It felt very, very, very similar to love from Gaara's end, but definitely not from Shikamaru's. This was new; this was strange. And it would require more observation as it developed. For, Hinata had a feeling that this had only just begun.

As Gaara fell into a light slumber, his grasp on Shikamaru's arm loosened, allowing the lazy teenager to slip out. Shikamaru gave the redhead one last fond gaze before stretching, releasing a rather obnoxious yawn. As soon as Shikamaru left the bedside, Naruto snuck over, lying next to Gaara. Immediately, Gaara unconsciously curled closer to his blond companion; the rest of the group looked on knowingly.

Kankuro pointed to the door, silently conveying that the four of them leave the other two alone for a bit. The brunette whispered that he had to go clean up around the house, and Hinata offered to help, leaving Shikamaru and Lee alone to talk. They moved to Temari's room.

The two sat in silence, Lee knowing that Shikamaru had something on his mind, and Shikamaru being unsure of how to phrase his concerns. Their eyes met, obsidian on auburn, and almost immediately, Shikamaru understood. "Gaara…he's a lot like Neji," he mused, comprehending Lee's thoughts. Somehow, Lee was not surprised by the genius's psychic-like utterance.

"Reckless and holds the whole world on his shoulders," Lee elaborated, receiving a curt nod from the other. "They do stupid, selfless things, both big and small," Lee's voice wavered only just a bit, but Shikamaru, being the young genius that he was, noticed. "Sometimes…sometimes it feels like you are the only one who can stop them, who can protect them, and that becomes your life's mission. Then, one day, you realize that they are too stubborn, too determined. That day you realize that you can never stop them nor can you protect them." Lee wanted so badly to just shut up right then and there, but it seemed as though his mouth was moving, forming sentences, all by itself. He continued on in that shaky voice of his. "You try and try, but always fail, and it kills you. And then you realize that there is no protecting them. You find out firsthand that all that you can do is watch, and you feel helpless, hopeless. You watch them jump into the line of fire, protecting everyone but themselves, and they try to shoulder everyone's burdens, as if everything that goes wrong is their fault, as if it is completely in their control. You watch them try to carry the entire universe above their shoulders, and you watch them fall. Then, you realize what your _true_ purpose in life is: you are meant to watch them break so that you can pick up the pieces, only for them to break again." Lee stopped there, unable to continue as tears began to blur his vision.

Shikamaru had never heard anything so true in his entire life. He looked at the clenched fists in his lap with wide eyes. "Lee," he began, but trailed off as he found that he had absolutely nothing to say. Lee quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve before clasping his hand on Shikamaru's shoulders. He smiled softly with a nod.

"Even so, Shikamaru-kun, sometimes, it is worth it just to see them smile at you." An image of Gaara's rare, beaming smile made its way to the forefront of Shikamaru's mind. He shook his head, unable to deny the truth in Lee's words. The two grew quiet once again.

There was a knock on the door. Both Lee and Shikamaru snapped up, meeting the eyes of Kankuro and Hinata.

"Lee-kun," she began, "w-we should go home s-soon…w-we c-can't leave Hanabi alone f-for too long." Lee nodded, standing up.

"All right then, let us get Naruto-kun." The four walked back into Gaara's room only to be met with an endearing sight: Naruto and Gaara were both fast asleep, the redhead curled up on top of the blond, limbs entangled. The onlookers smiled. Naruto and Gaara were closer than society says that friends should be. Though they often claimed that they were only friends and nothing more, it was common to find them in very compromising positions such as this. It was enough to make Hinata faint sometimes. They could core each other's apples, and Naruto even claimed that they could have sex, and nothing between them would change. Naruto's hair-brained explanation for this was that the two had been gay lovers in a past life.

According to this theory, Naruto and Gaara's respective villages had been pillaged by Romans, and so the two of them met when they were sold into slavery. It was love at first sight, and they spent the bulk of their years on the slave trade having raunchy gay sex whenever possible. Finally, they were sold, but, fortunately, to the same master. However, Gaara was very sickly, and, unable to perform his duties up to his master's expectations, the redhead was mercilessly beaten, whipped, and abused. Naruto, unable to watch such horrors anymore, rose the ranks and left his master's compound, only to return later with enough money to buy Gaara. The two spent the rest of their days in each other's company until Gaara died of the plague. Naruto took his life immediately afterwards, and, well, they reincarnated.

Needless to say, Naruto was on enough crack to kill several bull moose.

Anyway, once Naruto was awakened after much shouting by Kankuro, the three bid the Sabaku family farewell, wishing the poor sick Gaara the best of health. As soon as they arrived back at the shrine, Naruto left for his own home explaining that, "Nagato-nii-chan and Konan-nee-chan will freak if I'm out to long without telling them where I am.**(5)**" Lee and Hinata headed towards their little house in the Shrine.

"Gaara-kun w-was r-really sick, w-wasn't he?" Hinata murmured as they approached their home. Lee nodded.

"Yes, I hope he gets better soon." With that, the night continued uneventfully. Neji never made it home for dinner, so Lee warmed up some leftovers for himself, Hinata, and Hanabi. Lee began to worry again as time ticked on with no word from Neji. He did his best to wait up for his favorite brunette.

It was not until late in the evening that Neji finally returned from work. The telltale turn of the lock alerted Lee to his lover's presence. He sprang up, ready to meet his lovely Neji. The door opened slowly, revealing a disheveled, severely exhausted Neji. The brunette collapsed into Lee's open arms, eyes closed. "Lee," he managed, recognizing the scent of his love.

"Welcome home, my love," Lee replied, gently kissing those beautiful coffee brown locks. Neji sighed contentedly. Lee helped his Neji into the kitchen, where he sat down, pulling the brunette into his lap. "Can I get you something to eat, Neji-koi?" Neji only shook his head, nearly flooring Lee with his response. "What? But you have not eaten all day! You must be starving!" Again, he shook his head.

"I ate at work," he murmured, curling closer to Lee.

"Liar," Lee uttered, barely above a whisper. Neji said nothing. "Neji-koi, you owe me one. Do you not remember saying so this morning? You told me, 'Anything you want you get,' and, right now, all that I want is for you to eat something." Neji remained silent for a moment.

Finally, a small smile formed on his face as he mumbled, "Oh, Lee." The aforementioned gently lifted Neji off of himself and placed him in a chair before fixing his love a small bowl of soup. He set it on the table as he sat down, lifting Neji back into his lap. Normally, Neji would be far too proud to allow himself to be spoon-fed, but he was too tired to even think of arguing when Lee first asked for him to open his mouth. Still, Lee only managed to get Neji to swallow a few bites before he no longer responded to Lee's attempts to feed him another spoon-full. The brunette's breath hitched as he shifted in Lee's lap. Then, he stared at the black-haired boy with half-lidded, enervated opalescent eyes. Sighing, he knew that Neji could do nothing but sleep at this point.

Lee began kissing Neji wherever his fair skin was exposed. The brunette visibly relaxed from the gentle ministrations. He was lulled into a hazy, barely-awake state. The muscled boy stood, easily lifting the brunette and carrying him bridal style, but Neji barely even noticed that he was moving. He was just so tired. So very tired…

When the white-eyed boy next came to, he was already in a pair of nightclothes in the bed that he and Lee shared. The clothes he wore seemed unnaturally warm and soft; he knew that they were Lee's. He loved to sleep in Lee's clothes on nights like these. They made him feel so safe. He sighed, looking up. Lee was across the room, getting undressed. The pretty brunette spoke: "Lee, come to bed." Said boy turned with a beaming smile.

"Just a moment, Neji-love." And a moment it was, as it seemed that only seconds later, Lee was getting into bed beside him. He slipped under the covers, pulling Neji close, oh-so-close. Warmth. Neji curled into all that was Lee. Just like earlier, he wanted nothing more than to melt into Lee, become part of him forever and ever. Perhaps someday, he would tell his love of his secret desire, but, for now, a secret was a secret.

"Lee," he murmured, "I love you so much, so very much." Lee smiled. It was all so worth it. He pecked his Neji on the lips.

"I love you too. More than anything in the universe." He could feel Neji smile into the skin of his collarbone.

"You're my everything," Neji mumbled. Lee would have shook his head if it would not have disturbed his lover. He loved the way that his little brunette tended to babble when he was exhausted; it was just so cute. Neji sighed again, "Oh…so…slee…py…" Lee shushed the white-eyed boy, gently stroking his cheek until he felt Neji completely relax in his arms and his breath even out. Neji was finally asleep.

"Good night, my love," he murmured, barely audible. The day before was a night terror day, he thought as he drifted off. Neji almost never had a night terror two nights in a row; he was usually too tired to even dream the following night. Even so, Lee hoped to God that that day was not one of those rare exceptions.

***Well, there you have it: an extra long chapter for an extra long wait. I do hope everyone enjoyed the addition of some other characters. I know that both Neji and Lee are completely OOC, but, well, they are what they are, no? Here are a couple footnotes:**

**1) Chichiue- a Japanese form of father. This is the form that Neji uses in the Japanese dub, so that's why I chose it over Otou-san.**

**2) Tenten is the oldest member of Team Gai (aside from Gai of course), followed by Neji, and finally Lee.**

**3) This is what Romeo says to Juliet when he finds her "dead." Yeah, I don't even want to think about how that changes the connotations of the scene that I had Lee say it in.**

**4) In the Japanese dub, Naruto always calls older boys or girls by nii-chan or nee-chan. **

**5) So, most fics have Naruto living with Jiraiya, Iruka, or, occasionally, his birth parents, but in mine I have an interesting process: Naruto was orphaned practically at birth, and immediately went to the care of his "grandfather," Jiraiya. Jiraiya died later in Naruto's life, so he went into the care of Jiraiya's closest students, Nagato and Konan (if you don't know who they are, catch up on the Japanese manga!), so that's about the size of it. **

**Yeah, sorry this took so long. I had a lot to say, and I didn't feel that breaking it up into a couple separate chapters was right. So that's why it took twice as long as usual. Still, I hope things didn't seem rushed towards the end. Anyway, I really hope that it was worth the wait!**


	5. Tied to the Noose Part 1

***And now we're back to Shikamaru and Gaara. This chapter was supposed to be, like, twice as long, but I decided to turn this into two chapters instead of one, since the p.o.v. changes so drastically. Damn, this chapter is short. Especially in comparison to the last one. That one was HUGE, man! Still, I'm exceptionally proud of it. I made one mistake though; instead of saying Sasuke was an **_**underclassman**_** I said he was an upperclassman. Whoops. . Anyway, at first, I was positive that Shikamaru would end up with Temari, but now, I'm not so sure. What do you guys think? Also, this is one of the many crappy childhood chapters, yeah? Outta be interesting. As for the title change, I decided that I'm turning Neighborhood into a series, so the next one will come out as soon as this one is finished. It'll be a party! Hm, anyway, I hope you like. Next chapter will be a Gaaracentric chapter followed by a Sasuke-musing. Have fun reading! **

**Disclaimer: ****All the infections that the sun sucks up/ From bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall and make him/ By inch-meal a disease! His spirits hear me/ And yet I needs must curse. But they'll nor pinch,/ Fright me with urchin--shows, pitch me i' the mire,/ Nor lead me,/ like a firebrand, in the dark/ Out of my way, unless he bid 'em; but/ For every trifle are they set upon me;/ Sometime like apes that mow and chatter at me/ And after bite me, then like hedgehogs which/ Lie tumbling in my barefoot way and mount/ Their pricks at my footfall; sometime am I/ All wound with adders who with cloven tongues/ Do hiss me into madness. **

**-Caliban (**_**The Tempest**_**, 2.2…P.S. I don't own anything that I happen to mention in my story…especially Naruto).**

**Particularly Appropriate Music: Amsterdam (live)- Coldplay, Pyramid Song- Radiohead, Mama- My Chemical Romance, Son of Sam- Elliot Smith, Big Empty- Stone Temple Pilots, Dosed- Red Hot Chili Peppers, Maria- Jim Bryant (especially towards the end of the chapter), and Specialist- Interpol.**

**Chapter 3: Tied to the Noose Part 1**

"Gaara, this is a terrible idea." Again, straight to the point, Shikamaru's normal tone. It seemed innocent enough, typical enough. His bored, nasally voice. To the untrained ear, Shikamaru's voice would have been obnoxiously calm, almost disinterested. Unfortunately for the genius, Gaara had a trained ear. The redhead could hear that shaky inflection. Shikamaru was worried, scared even. It was all because of him.

It had been several days since Gaara had first fallen ill. He had been practically bedridden since then, his entire body weakened. The sickness seemed to come and go in waves: sometimes he would be well enough to walk around, eat, do homework even, but then, mostly at night, his body would just give out on him. He would not be able to move, leave the bed; he could barely even speak, think. During these periods, he would drift in and out of consciousness, out of reality. He would feel as though he was only an astral projection, that he had lost his body long ago. Nothingness.

Sometimes, he would remember his father.

His brain would betray him: it was as though his father was still alive, tormenting him. He would recall the beatings, the verbal abuse. Being bruised, bloody, and broken as a cold, cruel man snarled at him, calling him a monster, a murderer, inhuman, disgusting, a cipher. Oh, how he wished he could forget those days: the before time, the pre-Naruto era. He remembered losing his voice; his father beat him if he spoke. He remembered losing his emotions; his father beat him if he showed them. He remembered losing his childhood. He remembered losing his mind.

He remembered the rules. There were so many rules. Gaara could not speak. Gaara could not show emotion. Gaara was not allowed to leave the house for any reason, even in an emergency. Gaara was to obey everyone in the house, especially his father and tutors (his dreadful, strict tutors). Gaara was not to look his father in the eye; how his father loathed his bright, emotionless eyes! It was too much, but there were so many more.

He remembered being pushed down stairs. Being beaten mercilessly in front of his siblings with their wide, wide eyes. Being locked in the basement, all alone in the dark.

It was then that he would wake with a start. His iridescent eyes wide, panicked. He would be back in the present, he would still be incredibly ill, and his father would be as dead as ever. But Gaara was too delirious to realize that. In his mind, he was still a six-year-old child, unable to defend himself. During one of these episodes, these flashbacks, the worse possible event occurred: Kankuro walked in. Kankuro was the spitting image of his father, the big differences being his kind eyes and warm smile. However, his redheaded brother was too far-gone to recognize these notable distinctions. When Gaara awoke to find Kankuro in his room staring down at him, all that he saw was his father. And he screamed.

Kankuro had started, completely shocked and confused. He dashed over to his brother, who was sobbing, crying feverishly, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'll never do it again! I'll be good! I'll be good!!" The brunette knew immediately what was happening, knowing those words well. He pulled his brother into a powerful hug, cooing that it was only him and not their father. As he did so, he quickly threw on his distinctive hat and applied his "stage makeup" with a nearby marker. He had pulled back, grinning at his brother (though his eyes betrayed his panic). The redhead had calmed at the sight of his brother's unique look, and his sobs became mere sniffles and hiccups.

That was how Shikamaru had found them, and that had only been the previous day. And now, Gaara was trying to coerce the genius into going back to school even though that entailed leaving the sick redhead alone for several hours. The idea was simply preposterous in Shikamaru's mind.

"Please, Shika," Gaara admonished, gazing up at him with light azure eyes. They were drowsy but determined. Shikamaru sighed, taking a seat beside the stubborn redhead.

"Gaara," he began in a stern, authoritative tone that belied his age. "Look," he continued, "last night you were so delirious that you mistook Kankuro for your father, your _dead_ father." The redhead looked away sheepishly. "I am _not _leaving you alone after that." Gaara stared at Shikamaru with those determined blue eyes again.

"I don't need a babysitter-"

"Yes, you do," the genius replied, not missing a beat. "Trust me; you need a babysitter even when you're not sick. You have a tendency to do very stupid, troublesome things." Gaara rested his head on Shikamaru's shoulder; the latter simply allowed the gesture. In a way, the genius felt honored. Gaara was not a very touchy-feely person; he rarely initiated any sort of physical contact. Shikamaru appeared to be one of the few exceptions.

"Please, Shika," he repeated, in a new, strange sort of tone. It almost sounded defeated. "You need to go back. Please go." Shikamaru began to lightly pet his hair.

"I can always catch up; it's no big deal if I miss another day." The redhead found himself relaxing under the gentle ministrations. He had one last card to play, and hopefully, the genius would give in.

"Please," he began, "will you do it for me?" Shikamaru blinked; he should have expected as much. Still, he could not seem to stop his resolve from cracking as he stared into those milky azure eyes. They gazed up at him intently, pleadingly. Shikamaru sighed, shaking his head. He gently pushed Gaara into a lying position before pulling the covers over him.

"I'm going to regret this…just…be a good boy while I'm gone." The redhead's eyes lit up, sparkling with happiness. Shikamaru smiled wearily; no one should be that easy to please. Gaara beamed at him, only at him.

"Thank you," he murmured. Shikamaru shook his head, tousling Gaara's soft crimson tresses.

"You know, sometimes, you trump your sister when it comes to being troublesome." The redhead grinned, albeit tiredly. "Just try to get some sleep and…take care of yourself."

"I will," Gaara replied genuinely. The genius sighed.

"Good, because if you don't, there will be hell to pay." The other blinked.

"For who?"

"I don't know; I'll figure that out when it happens."

"You mean '_if_ it happens'." Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.

"Gaara, trust me; it's a 'when'." The aforementioned smiled sheepishly. And with that, Shikamaru began to throw his bag together, grunting a soft, "troublesome" every so often. Finally, being as ready as Shikamaru-ly possible, he threw his bag over his shoulder, calling a, "later," as he walked away.

"I love you." Shikamaru stopped dead in his tracks. He did not turn; he did not want to show his total shock at those three words. Gaara loved him. Shikamaru knew that, of course; Gaara was like—no, he was—family. There was no doubt in the genius's mind that the redhead loved him, nor was there doubt that he loved Gaara back, but…somehow, hearing it aloud was different. For one thing, Gaara (for reasons that he had yet to disclose) was extremely touchy around the subject of love. But that did not seem to be the reason that Shikamaru was paralyzed where he stood. No, it was something else. Perhaps it was the sudden wave of emotions that bombarded his brain. That strange feeling that seemed to rise from his legs to his chest like some sort of pulmonary embolism. It was warm; it was nervous; it was dizzy and nauseous.

Shikamaru turned. He stared at Gaara with an unreadable expression. Before marching over and pulling Gaara into a crushing hug. "I love you, too," the genius managed.

The smaller boy's brain exploded, heart melting. That warm and sick feeling from the first night that he got ill returned one hundred fold. It was amazing, perfect. Gaara was surrounded by Shikamaru: his essence, his scent, his warmth, everything. It enveloped him. It was his comfort.

Gaara faintly wrapped his arms around Shikamaru, before again whispering, "Thank you."

Shikamaru began rubbing his back gingerly. Gaara felt his eyes closing. The genius continued this until he was sure that Gaara had fallen into a light slumber. Then, he laid the boy down, pulling the blanket back over him.

With a smile, he patted Gaara's head before heading out, back to school. Shikamaru made the executive decision to walk to his destination; he needed some time to think, and he did not particularly want to socialize either. He sighed. It was going to be a troublesome day. The mid-January chill was surprisingly bitter. He kept his hands in the pockets of his windbreaker as he walked, trying to shrug off the cold as best he could. His favorite word was no longer applicable to this situation. "This fucking sucks," he muttered indignantly. That seemed to suffice. Still, his mood was going downhill fast.

It was all because of that redhead of his. That stupid redhead! He was the only person on Earth that the genius wasted energy to worry—nay, fret—about. But how could he not? If Shikamaru did not look out for Gaara, then who would? That stupid, reckless, naïve, sweet, little redhead of his. Shikamaru shook his head at the thought. Still, he could picture it: that Gaara as Shikamaru returned from school. He would walk into the house with Gaara waiting for him at the door, like a loyal puppy. That poor sweet dolt of his would get out of bed despite his weakness and pain, go to the door, and wait patiently to greet Shikamaru at his return. And as much as Shikamaru hated the recklessness and downright lunacy of it, he loved the thought behind it. Gaara would only push himself like that for one person only, and that was Shikamaru. Somehow, it made the latter feel strange and warm, loved. Just as well, it brought back an odd memory.

Shikamaru remembered getting to know the Sabaku-Akasuna family very vividly. At first, he only went to the house to see Gaara. After all, the two had become friends far before Shikamaru even took a second glance at Temari. At this point, Shikamaru had still been living with his mother. The genius had a rough family life to say the least (not as rough as Gaara's, mind you, but still not exactly a happy home).

Things had been all right, back when Shikaku (Shikamaru's so-called father) was still around. Shikamaru was an only child, but he was fairly content living with his mother and father. But, then, everything went wrong. Shikaku left without a word and never came back. He abandoned his wife and only son, never to be seen again. Yoshino, Shikamaru's mother, was crushed. She tried to focus all of her energies on raising her son, but she was always tormented by Shikaku's desertion and quickly began taking it out on Shikamaru (especially as he grew to look almost identical to the man). Nothing that the genius did was good enough for her. She was constantly screaming at him for every little mistake that he made. Any self-esteem that Shikamaru may have had left was shattered. He began hiding behind a façade of laziness and apathy, but deep down, he was a wreck. In truth, he felt every single emotional blow that his mother had dealt. Sometimes, she would even hit him. It had not been a happy childhood.

One day, his mother went too far. She did not just hit him or scream at him this time. Shikamaru would later simply recount that she had "beat the shit" out of him. She thrust all of her resentment and blames on him, saying that it was Shikamaru's fault that everything in her life went wrong, his fault that Shikaku left them. Shikamaru refused to fight back or even defend himself on principle. When she was finished, she went up to her room and did not come back out. Shikamaru was left bruised, bloody, and broken on the kitchen floor. He picked himself up and left the house.

For a while, Shikamaru was just walking, unsure of where to go. He did not think that he could look Choji in the eye then. He just could not face his best friend in the condition that he was in, and even Shikamaru was not sure of the reason. He thought about going to Ino's, but then, he realized that, once he told her of what had happened, she would cry. Shikamaru could not bear to see that. He wanted to see his favourite teacher, Asuma, but he had no idea where the man lived.

Just when Shikamaru decided to find a phonebook and go call Asuma, he realized that he was outside Gaara's house. He found himself drawn to it, as if he subconsciously knew that Gaara was the right person to talk to.

He rang the doorbell; Gaara's cousin, Sasori, answered. Deep hazel eyes looked over his guest, arms crossed. No doubt that he noticed the various bruises and caked blood all over Shikamaru's body. The genius took a deep breath before asking, "Is Gaara in?" There was no avoiding that question.

Within moments, Sasori took Shikamaru to Gaara's room, no questions asked. They waited outside a moment before finally, the redhead spoke: "He's in here," he explained, roughly gesturing to Gaara's closed door. "But, uh, I'm not entirely sure what conditions he's in." Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at that, prompting Sasori to continue, "He's getting over a manic episode." Shikamaru nodded, understanding; Gaara had told him about his Bipolar Disorder, after all. "He was awake for over six days. Hopefully, he's gotten himself to sleep by now, but…"

Shikamaru turned to leave. "I understand. I'll just be going then." The genius sighed inwardly. It would seem that he would have to find that phonebook after all. Perhaps Sasori would loan him theirs.

"Who said anything about you leaving?" Sasori interjected with a smirk. "If I'd wanted you to leave, I would have turned you away at the door." Shikamaru turned, again, eyebrow raised. "Look. Even Kankuro had trouble with him this week, but the kid seems to like you, so why don't you try talking with him if he's awake?"

"He might not be," the Nara commented, avoiding Sasori's penetrating gaze.

"If he's not, then get some sleep yourself. You look like you could use it." At this, Shikamaru blinked, surprised.

"You're inviting me to stay the night." It was almost a question. _Almost_.

"I'm inviting you to stay indefinitely," the redhead responded, not missing a beat. With that, Sasori left Shikamaru standing alone, just outside Gaara's room. He would have to thank the man, once he recovered from the shock that is. He looked to the door. Unable to think of a better option, he entered.

The room was dark. Immediately, the genius noticed the outline of what appeared to be a person asleep on the bed. He assumed that such was Gaara. Once his eyes adjusted, Shikamaru was able to see what littered the floor of the room: the fruits of a manic episode gone wrong (not that they were ever right, per se). Paintings and sketches, some done, some not-so-done, and some abandoned before they ever really began. Half-formed sculptures, many were broken from when Gaara grew frustrated. Books thrown askew, many only half-read. Poems and stories lay semi-written. Music only half-composed. In short, the room was chock-full of incompletion.

Shikamaru bypassed Gaara's work in favor of the redhead himself. He tried to approach the bed with as much stealth as possible. The genius almost seemed to merge with the shadows themselves. He made it to the bed, and the little redhead showed no signs of stirring. Shikamaru sighed, eyes softening, as he stared at the redhead's still form. The former could not help but think that the other looked so very sweet as he slept. He found himself stroking the soft flesh of Gaara's cheek, eyes solemn, almost melancholy.

"I wish you knew what you do to me. Hell, I wish I knew what you do to me." He felt an odd tightness in his chest and felt strangely close to tears.

A groan. Bleary bright blue eyes blinked awake. "Who…?" Shikamaru retracted his hand slowly, not wanting to startle the redhead. He knelt down beside him.

"It's me. Sorry I woke you." Shikamaru took off his jacket and kicked off his shoes before climbing into bed beside Gaara. "We'll talk later. We both need sleep." The redhead curled closer to Shikamaru with a sigh.

"Thanks for coming to see me," he murmured sleepily. "I missed you."

The genius's eyes widened. As sad as it sounded, that was the nicest thing that he had heard in the past few days. He whispered a rare question: "You really want me around?" The answer was obvious, but Shikamaru had an almost carnal need to hear it from Gaara himself. Either Gaara was too tired to realize that Shikamaru had broken his creed or knew the other well enough to understand not to acknowledge it.

"Of course, I always have," he slurred. "Sometimes, I dunno what I'd do without you." Then, Shikamaru cried. He told Gaara to go back to sleep, that he would explain everything when the redhead next woke. As Gaara drifted off to sleep (coaxed to sleep by Shikamaru stroking his hair), Shikamaru did something troublesome and impulsive: he kissed Gaara on his full, supple lips. The redhead did not awaken, merely murmured something unintelligible, but still, Gaara was the sweetest honey that Shikamaru had ever tasted. He kissed him again, before he finally managed to cry himself to sleep (or something akin to it).

When Shikamaru returned to the present, he was not at the school. In fact, he had passed Konoha High quite a ways back. No, now he was at the playground in which he and Gaara had first met, only a year prior. He sat down on the swing that he had found Gaara on, that day and looked up at the retched, overcast sky. He was crying. Somehow, he wanted to kiss Gaara again.

It was going to be a troublesome day.

*** I just proofread this, and put it up instead of the sucky, non-proofread version. There were no major changes, just spelling and grammar type of shit. Truth be told, that was nowhere near what I originally planned it to be. I kind of went off on a weird impulse-inspiration. Can you tell? Seriously though, I almost cried when Shikamaru cried. Must be one of those artist things…but then again, I almost cried the two times that Shikamaru cried in the anime too. Maybe it's just something about Shikamaru. Whatever, anyway, I thought it was a bit weird towards the end because I was so exhausted when I wrote this. Any questions? Comments? Let me know if it sucked. Thanks so much for reading, everyone! I love you all! Especially, Foxxy!**


	6. Tied to the Noose Part 2

*** Hey, everyone! How's it going? Well, first off I'd like to apologize to any Tennessee readers. Sorry that next update is coming so slow, but I can't seem to get inspired. Hm, I wonder why, cuz all of my other stories are coming along alright. Weird. Anyway, this next chapter was first inspired by LaZy LeO, who really got into this story, which made me get into it too! Thanks a lot, LeO-chan! So, just a few things about this chapter. Well, it's very, very odd. We're getting back to the supernatural again, which actually plays a HUGE part in all of my stories. Not just Neighborhood. There might be some confusing parts, so please let me know if you had trouble with something, and I'll try to clear things up as best I can. ^__^ Gaara's "role" comes from this fascination that I have with humanity's relationship with nature. In all of my stories, I have a character who's really in tune with Earth, and in almost all of my Naruto fanfics, that character is Gaara (this comes into play in some of the other stories that I have yet to write). I'm also building up to a plot twist that'll come into play in later (assuming I get that far). Knowing me, you guys'll probably see the plot twist right away, but who knows? Maybe I'm actually a decent foreshadower. Anyway, have fun with this chapter, guys! I love you all! And I do hope you enjoy this convoluted mess I like to call a fanfic. **

**Disclaimer: She should have died hereafter;/ There would have been a time for such a word./ To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,/ Creeps in this petty pace from day to day/ To the last syllable of recorded time,/ And all our yesterdays have lighted fools/ The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!/ Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player/ That struts and frets his hour upon the stage/ And then is heard no more: it is a tale/ Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,/ Signifying nothing.**

**-Macbeth (**_**Macbeth**_** 5.5 Great monologue that… P.S. I don't own anything that I happen to mention in my story…especially Naruto).**

**Particularly Appropriate Music: Where I End and You Begin- Radiohead, A Rush of Blood to the Head- Coldplay, Climbing Up the Walls- Radiohead, Specialist- Interpol, My Friends- Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flint (For the Unemployed and Underpaid)- Sufjan Stevens, Karma Police- Radiohead, dive- The Priddle Concern, All Apologies- Nirvana, Follow the Leader- Matthew Ryan, Becky I Keep Singing this Song- Hey Rosetta!, Optimistic- Radiohead, Pioneer to the Falls-Interpol, and Dream at Tempo 119- Silversun Pickups (Wow, there was a lot of music this time).**

**Chapter 4: Tied to the Noose Part 2**

Gaara missed Shikamaru. He missed his smell, his warmth, his voice, his everything. The redhead never missed Naruto like this; he did not miss Lee, or Kankuro, or Temari, or Sasori, or Deidara, or quite frankly anyone like he did Shikamaru. Why? Why did everything feel different when it involved the genius? Why did it make Gaara feel giddy and dizzy when Shikamaru touched him? Why did his heart hurt when he saw Shikamaru gaze longingly at Temari?

He remembered when the genius had first told him about his budding relationship with his sister: _"Gaara, there's something I need to tell you…"_ His body shivered at the memory. _"I…I think I'm in love."_ He pulled his knees to his chest, burying his face in them. _"She's just…so beautiful…"_ He clutched his ruby red locks in a vice grip. _"I-I've never met anyone like her, Gaara…"_ He began to cry.

Why did it hurt so much now? He had been so happy for the two when Shikamaru had first told him. He had thought that Temari deserved someone as wonderful as Shikamaru. He had given them his blessings. But now, all it did was make him cry. How did his feelings change so suddenly? What happened to make him feel this way? He would never say, of course; Shikamaru and Temari were happy. Gaara was not. This was the way it should be. Gaara did not deserve happiness if it was at the expense of two of the dearest people in his life, right? But then again, why was Gaara unhappy in the first place? Why could not all three people be happy? Everything had just become so confusing, so very quickly.

God, he still remembered vividly the first night that Shikamaru and Temari had shared a bed. Until that day, the genius had slept in Gaara's room, but as the couple's relationship grew, Shikamaru began spending more and more time in Temari's room and less and less in Gaara's. Finally, the two took the next step and moved into the same room. That first night, Gaara could not sleep. He had missed Shikamaru then, too. He had missed hearing his light snores, feeling the security of knowing that the other was right there if anything happened. Gaara had rarely slept until the genius had moved in. Shikamaru had such a calming effect on the other. He had no trouble sleeping when the Nara was near (a power that the latter shared with no one else). Once Shikamaru had moved out, Gaara's insomnia returned full force. It was as if he was having another manic episode like the one that had hit him just before Shikamaru had moved in.

A week passed with no sleep. Gaara was sure that his friends and family could tell that he had been having many sleepless nights, but he said nothing about Shikamaru (or lack thereof) being the root cause; the last thing that he wanted was the genius to sacrifice his newfound happiness just for the redhead. Eventually, Gaara somewhat found sleep by sneaking into Kankuro's room once the other had gone to bed and lying on the floor until sleep claimed him. Sometimes it worked, but more often than not, it did not. Still, Kankuro never complained when he accidently tripped over Gaara's sleeping body in the morning.

One day, Gaara just gave up on sleep altogether. He had grown tired of the tossing and turning, the restless nights and the mornings that always came too soon. Instead, when the rest of the house went to sleep, Gaara went directly to his "studio" (he had transformed the attic into an art studio at Deidara and Sasori's prompting). There, he would paint, draw, sculpt, write, or compose until he had to get up in the morning. It was like living one endless day. He was trapped. He did not know how long this went on; he had lost track of time, and the lack of sleep certainly did not hinder the process. Days blurred into and melded with the nights, sun and moon both useless. The minutes became hours.

Then, one night when Gaara had made sure that everyone was asleep, he went up to his studio to work on a new painting (the subject, not surprisingly, was Shikamaru). He worked diligently, brushstroke after brushstroke. He was so engrossed with his work that he did not notice as the trapdoor to the attic opened and a familiar figure climbed through.

Gaara started as he heard a sigh. "Idiot," came a nasally voice that the redhead was very well-acquainted with (music to his ears). He turned; he and Shikamaru were face-to-face, the other being only a few feet away. He approached Gaara, brow furrowed and posture angry. The Nara certainly was not happy, to say the least.

"You haven't slept in days, Gaara," he growled out sternly, voice becoming louder with every word. "Dare I say weeks," he added, stepping ever closer. He was shouting at this point. "You look awful; I can't believe you actually thought that we wouldn't notice—that _I _wouldn't notice!" Gaara had _never_ seen Shikamaru quite this furious with him before. Unable to help himself, the redhead began to cry. Shikamaru's deep auburn eyes, once blazing with fury, softened at the sight.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry," Gaara hiccupped, sinking to his knees. He attempted to suck it up, feeling horrible, weak, stupid, but the tears just would not stop. He began to full-out sob brokenly. When he attempted to brush the tears away with his shirt, more just fell in their place. Finally, Shikamaru could watch no more. He strode over, kneeling down next to him. He wrapped his arms around the sobbing boy in front of him, pulling the redhead against his chest. Gaara seemed to calm a bit as Shikamaru rested his chin on the other's head.

"Shhh, please don't cry, Gaara. I'm sorry. It's okay. I'm not mad; I'm just worried about you." He trailed off, giving Gaara a few moments to cry on his shoulder. "It's gonna be all right." Gaara nodded weakly into his chest. "Come on," he tried after a moment, "let's get you to be. God knows you need it."

But Gaara did not nod this time, quite the opposite. "I don't want to," he murmured once his sobs had died down. At this, Shikamaru groaned.

"Guess we'll just have to do this the troublesome way, then." Gaara blinked, confused.

"What do you mean, ShikAAAAAAA!!!!" He nearly shrieked as Shikamaru stood, easily throwing the redhead over his shoulder. Gaara kicked and punched the genius, hoping that this would cause the other to put him down, but such efforts were fruitless. Shikamaru remained unfazed, merely chuckling at Gaara's attempts to gain freedom. All that the redhead had managed to do was tire himself out even more. His struggles became less and less frantic before finally ceasing, eyelids heavy and drooping. Another rumble of a chuckle escaped the genius.

"So, you've finally given up," he commented simply, but Gaara did not respond. He was too far-gone. Shikamaru was warm, wonderful. He closed his eyes, basking in the other's presence. If only things could remain this simple forever, just Gaara and Shikamaru. Shikamaru's warmth, his smell, his voice. Nothing more. For all of eternity. Gaara dozed off.

He had dreamed that night. It was a rather strange dream that he had begun to have soon after his time with Naruto. It started with a cold, dark, desolate place. A cellar or a cave, he could not see enough to tell which, but an altogether awful place it was. His could hear his father's harsh, cruel voice tormenting him. Pain, awful pain. There were subtitles in his vision: they were his father's words. Temari and Kankuro's terrified faces came into view, followed by Sasori and Deidara's concerned ones. The subtitles began to show different words as his mother's face came into view. He could still hear his father's shouts, but the words at the bottom of the screen were different. They were not his father's words but rather, his uncle's. He was trapped in a Hell comprised only of his past, much worse than anything Dante could come up with.

Then, it all changed. He heard more voices, three to be exact. One was distinctly Naruto's while the other two were much less familiar (though Gaara could tell that one was male and the other female). The dark place was getting brighter and brighter. The voices were muffled but comforting. Gaara remembered this scene. This had been the day that Naruto and Neji had returned him to normal after the "incident." He remembered this well. Any minute, the blinding light would dim and Gaara's vision would clear, only to find Naruto staring down at him.

But that did not happen this time.

Instead, the bright whiteness faded to reveal Shikamaru. He was beaming at the redhead, looking the happiest that Gaara had ever seen him. The genius laughed, pulling Gaara into a warm, tight embrace.

Then, he spoke, using the words that Naruto had said that day: "It's good to finally be able to hug you." It was barely audible, but altogether perfect.

It would turn out that that dream had lasted a full two days. Gaara had been so exhausted that he had fallen asleep and not woken up. When he finally woke, he wondered if Shikamaru had been worried. He did not have to wonder for very long, as Shikamaru had come in to check on him soon afterwards, surprised but happy to see him awake. Still, Shikamaru's smile soon faded, replacing itself with a scowl. He marched over to the redhead and hugged him like there was no tomorrow.

"I swear to God; do _anything_ to worry me like that again, and you'll live to regret it!" No one fussed over Gaara quite like Shikamaru did.

And more than anything, as he lay in bed, he wished that his favorite genius was there to fuss over him. It was so wrong. Shikamaru deserved so much better than a life of looking after his girlfriend's little brother. Shikamaru had so many better friends than Gaara. He had Choji and Ino, even Naruto, true best friends. Gaara was nothing more than a burden to the genius. He was holding him back. Still, had Shikamaru not come to Gaara when he needed a place to stay? Shikamaru never went to Choji or Ino or even Temari when he needed to talk. He went to Gaara. Just as well, Shikamaru did not worry about his other friends quite like he worried for the redhead. Did that mean anything? Did that make Gaara special? The answers did not come easy. In fact, all that Gaara was sure of was that he missed Shikamaru, needed him.

As Gaara mulled all of this over, he stared blankly up at the ceiling (now spinning from fever) with melancholy blue-green eyes. He did not know what to make of anything anymore. From his mysterious illness to his unorthodox relationship with Shikamaru, everything was just so confusing, complicated, unsettling, way too much. His body tensed as his stomach made a sudden lurch. He had not eaten much in the past few days, and yet he was still vomiting. It just was not normal. He had heard of terrible stomach flus before, but nothing like this!

He managed to force himself out of bed, standing on shaky, unstable legs. He did not know if he was hot or cold anymore. The redhead decided to get himself a glass of water, hoping that such would soothe his upset stomach.

He began the long trek from his room to the kitchen, taking it slow. Stumbling every few steps, he was forced to use the wall as a crutch. About halfway down the stairs, he paused to catch his breath. He just felt so winded, and his aching head certainly was not helping. Biting back the urge to just go back to his room, go to sleep, and never wake up, he kept trudging onwards. He felt like such a weakling, but Hell, he was the sickest he had ever been in his entire life. The redhead deserved a mental complaint or two if he did say so himself.

After what felt like the equivalent of forty years wandering through the desert, Gaara had made it to the kitchen sink. He rummaged through a nearby cupboard for a glass. After filling it with a generous amount of tap water, he downed the entire glass in one go, yet he was still quite thirsty. He, again, filled the glass to the brim. He raised the glass to his chapped lips.

"_Gaara…"_

The redhead's bright eyes widened. He was so shocked by the call that he dropped the glass. It shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces on the ground, water spilling on the hardwood floor, wetting his bare feet.

"_Gaara,"_ the strange voice repeated with a frightened urgency. Gaara knew this feeling well, this voice that echoed in his mind and not his ears. His stomach lurched in an almost excited way. He felt his mouth go dry.

"W-where…are you?" he found himself asking allowed. The voice was not distinctly male or female, young or old. It just was. There was no other way to describe it. Gaara's family had always asked what it was like to hear these voices, but Gaara had no way to describe it. He had been able to communicate with them ever since he was born, and yet, the redhead could not explain how or why such occurred.

"_Gaara, we have been so worried. Something is very wrong. Can you feel us?"_ The redhead's eyes widened as he realized that he could not, in fact, "feel" them. Ever since he was little, he could always pinpoint the where the voices were coming from. He always knew which "group of friends" was talking to him. But this time…nothing.

"No!" he cried frantically, quite unlike himself. "I can't!" Something was very wrong indeed.

"_We suspected as much. Something is impairing your link with us. Try to focus more."_ Gaara nodded though he knew that his friends could not see. His eyes glazed over, but his brow did not furrow in concentration, quite the opposite actually. His entire body visibly relaxed as he attempted to connect with his companions. His irises became a blue so bright that they almost seemed to glow. Still, he felt nothing and that was scarier than anything else that life could possibly throw at him.

"It's not working," he began shakily, worried beyond belief. This had _never_ happened before. "What's happening?"

"_We are not entirely sure, but you are in grave danger, Gaara, we cannot tell you what from, but for it to be powerful enough to throw off our connection with you…"_ The voice trailed off, as if terrified to even contemplate the implications of such a thing. _"You must come to us immediately."_

Without a second thought, Gaara threw on a pair of shoes and a jacket, and forgetting all previous weakness, rushed outside.

"Where are you?" he asked as he dashed across the yard.

"_At the beach. Hurry, Gaara!"_

Gaara knew his way to the beach like the back of his hand. It was favorite place in Konoha, and he went there often. However, unlike most, he did not go there to swim; he went to visit his friends.

That day, the sky was completely overcast. Grey and miserable. The town seemed devoid of people. No one was on the streets except for Gaara. The mid-January chill was brutal on his feverish body, and he had only a pair of pajamas and a sweatshirt to protect himself from it.

The journey to the beach was particularly uneventful, but the redhead's heart was pumping wildly from adrenaline. He kept looking frantically around as if some sort of demon was going to ambush him at any given moment. Worse was the knowledge that Shikamaru was going to kill him when he found out about this little excursion. Still, he knew that it was all necessary. His friends were ancient and wiser than all of humanity combined; if they said that something was wrong, something was undoubtedly wrong.

He ran down the concrete steps, descending to the shore below. The waters had dimmed to a morose blue-grey, reflecting the wretched skies. The seagulls had migrated south, and no one in their right minds would go to the beach on a day such as this, so Gaara was alone. Well, _almost_ alone. His friends were still there; they always were. He collapsed onto his knees, resting on the sand, surrounded by his companions. Clutching his chest, he attempted to catch his breath to no avail.

"I'm here," he murmured finally. Now, he was close enough to "hear" each of his individual friends.

"_Gaara, dear, it's so good to see you!"_

"_You had us so worried!"_

"_You're just lucky that you got here when you did; we were ready to go after you ourselves."_

The redhead smiled to himself, or rather, his friends. It had been far too long since he had spoken to them.

"_Gaara, tell us, now that you're close, can you feel us?"_ The light-hearted aura of relief grew serious. Gaara tried to focus but all that he could feel was the chill in the air.

"No," he deadpanned. "Nothing." There was a thunderous outcry as all of the sand attempted to speak at once.

"_It can't be!"_

"_This has never happened before!"_

"_What could have caused this?"_

"_It must be ancient and unbelievably powerful to be able to override us."_

All grew quiet as Gaara opened his mouth to speak. "I'm not the first to speak to you, am I?" The sand's response was immediate.

"_No, of course not dear. You are our advocate; you speak for us since we cannot speak to normal humans. You were chosen by Mother Desert just as the Speaker before you was, and the one before that. It has been this way even since man first wandered into the desert."_ Gaara nodded. Mother Desert had explained some of this to him when she had first given him her power, but there was still much about his "role" that he did not understand.

"Well," he began hesitantly, "has anything like this ever happened before?" The sand did not speak, at least, not at first. Had they faces, Gaara was almost certain that his friends would be frowning in both frustration and concentration.

"_This has never happened with a Speaker of the Desert in particular, but…oh dear, how could we have forgotten!"_

"What?!" Gaara cried, becoming frightened himself.

"_There was something that happened a long time ago." _Gaara nodded encouragingly. _"We don't even remember his name (assuming he had one), but he was the first Speaker. He had been chosen by The Ancient Mother herself."_ The redhead's turquoise eyes widened.

"You can't mean…?

"_Yes, Gaara, you would know her as 'Earth'. She chose this one man to speak for her."_

"To speak for…the entire planet," he murmured dazedly. He could not imagine the stress that would cause. He could barely handle speaking for the desert, let alone everything else! The sand obviously felt this from him.

"_Exactly, dear. It was far too much for him. The poor man could not handle the power and went mad. He fell into darkness and used his power to create the shadows, tormenting and destroying anything that crossed his path."_ The redhead nodded solemnly, knowing that he had gone temporarily insane himself when the powers of Mother Desert had first been bestowed upon him. He would not dare to imagine the torture of having the entire planet's power.

"_Poor Ancient Mother was a wreck after seeing what she had done to her child. After that, she decided to split her power up between several Speakers, each representing a different environment."_

"But what happened to the man?" asked Gaara, feeling pity for the poor creature that he must have become.

"_No one knows, not even Ancient Mother. We all believe that his human body perished, as he was still a mortal."_

"But what does all this have to do with me?" The sand hesitated, as if afraid to answer.

"_Well, his body may have died, but the shadows he created are as immortal as Mother Desert herself. And as a Speaker, you, my dear, are the perfect vessel."_ Gaara's eyes widened at the thought. His breath quickened as he considered the implications of such a thing. _"The shadows cannot do anything without a vessel, nor can we, which is why Ancient Mother created the Speaker system. We believe that the shadows may want your body since it is already so in tune with nature. But, it did not realize that Mother Desert's influence over you is strong. Her powers are rejecting the shadows, but the process is hard on your body. Such is the cause of your strange illness."_ Gaara continued to stare at the sand with wide, wide eyes. His body was shaking.

"Get them out," he murmured. "Help me get rid of them! Please, get them out of my body right now!" But, before the sand could respond, a deep, dark, horrible voice erupted inside of his head: **"This we cannot allow!"** Then it came, an unbearable pain. Gaara cried out as agony ripped his entire body to shreds hurting, aching, stabbing, biting, burning. Gnawing on every Godforsaken nerve in his body. Boiling his blood with fever. Gaara's eyes rolled back into his head as he swooned. His body collapsed backwards, falling onto the sand, glassy, unblinking eyes gazing emotionlessly up at the sky, mouth agape.

At this, the sand went absolutely ballistic: _"GAARA!! GAARA!!!! SPEAK TO US!!!" _It gathered into a large mass before reaching out to pick the unconscious boy up, but as soon as it got within an inch of Gaara's body, a large black bolt of lightning blew it back. The sand that had been unfortunate enough to touch the black bolt became glass from the sheer heat before falling to the ground and shattering.

"**Sorry, Servants of Mother Desert,"**__the shadows sneered, **"but we have plans for your little Speaker, and we cannot have you interfering."** The sand hissed and snarled, but did nothing more, knowing that it was quite outmatched. All that it could do was watch as the shadows enveloped its precious Gaara. Still, it prayed to Mother Desert and Ancient Mother that another human would come to save Gaara before it was too late.

*** Wow, that was TRIPTASTIC!!! That was like if you took every B movie that's secretly a metaphor for Global Warming ever made, rolled it into a single joint, smoked it, and wrote about the experience. Wow…just…just wow. Well, I figure you're having either one of two reactions: 1) Dude, that was EPIC!!! Or 2) WTF!!??!!!??? Damn, that chapter was weird, right? Wow, truth be told, when writing it, I, again, went off on this random tangent, and somehow, it ended up like this. Well, it was mostly dialogue at the end, and…I wouldn't know sentence variation if it bit me in the ass. Sorry if it sounded monotonous at parts. So, do I at least get some brownie points for giving sand a personality. Seriously, it's harder than it looks. And the whole Speaker thing was a bitch to try to explain. How'd I do? Oh, whatever, I'm sure you're all confused as hell. Also, you know, for a bff soon to just be bf (ZOMG spoilers!), Shikamaru sure does threaten Gaara a lot. Anyone else notice that? Wow, abusive boyfriend. That would just make Gaara's horrible, horrible life complete, wouldn't it? Anyway, as usual, it was proofread poorly, so sorry if there were any major mistakes. Also, written at 4:55am…sorry about that. Thanks for reading, and I hope everybody liked it! But for now, I'm gonna get some rest before I die of exhaustion. Love you guys!**


	7. You Came Along and You Cut Me Loose 1

***So, that last chapter…yeah. Well…yeah. Anyway…I don't care how trippy it was! I still love it! But I suppose that's like a mom telling their kid that she still loves them even though he/she failed every class. You know what class that last chapter failed? No, it wasn't coherency (good guess though). It failed AP Economics. Yup. Wow, you see what college essays can do to a person? This. I have like fifteen more pages of Plato's **_**Symposium**_** to read for AP Great Books (super-fantastic class!), but I'm really not in the mood for excessive thought, so I figured I should update! God knows how little thought actually goes into these. I suppose I could do some of my AP Euro reading (seriously, we're reading a book by some dude named Manchester; it's like, all the blood, sex, and violence that you didn't realize happened during the dark and middle ages. Love that man). Whatever! The point is, I'm updating now! …I love you. Yeah…I'm just gonna go find myself a good monologue from **_**Othello**_**. How does that sound?**

**Disclaimer: ****My story being done,/ She gave me for my pains a world of sighs./ She swore, i' faith, 'twas strange, 'twas passing strange;/ 'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful./ She wished she had not heard it; yet she wished/ That heaven had made her such a man. She thanked me;/ And bade me, if I had a friend that loved her,/ I should but teach him how to tell my story,/ And that would woo her. Upon this hint I spake./ She loved me for the dangers I had passed,/ And I loved her that she did pity them./This only is the witchcraft I have used./ Here comes the lady. Let her witness it.**

**-Othello (**_**Othello **_**1.3 Be glad I didn't force you to read the whole things…it's over three minutes when read aloud…P.S. ****I don't own anything that I happen to mention in my story…especially Naruto).**

**P.P.S.**

**Do that funky Moor thing, white boy!**

**Particularly Appropriate Music: All the Go Inbetweens- Silversun Pickups, Girl- The Beatles, Because- Across the Universe Version, Rest My Chemistry- Interpol, Shimmer- Fuel, A Rush of Blood to the Head- Coldplay, Say it Ain't So-Weezer, Sail to the Moon- Radiohead, Lacrymosa- Evanescence, Cupid De Locke- Smashing Pumpkins, Hallelujah- Jeff Buckley, A Time to be So Small- Interpol, Yes- Coldplay, and Little Motel- Modest Mouse. **

**A Series of Incoherent Musings #3 (Sasuke): You Came Along and You Cut Me Loose Part 1**

She was a goddess. She was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. Though, I suppose nowadays, you'd call her a woman. Every hackneyed phrase about love you can think of, yeah, that was her embodied. Have you ever read Shakespeare's "Sonnet 17"? I've never read so much truth: "Who will read my verse in time to come/ When it is fill'd with your most high deserts./ Though yet, Heaven knows, it is but as a tomb, which hides your life and shows not half your parts." **(1)** Or, for the slower ones out there, she's so incredibly gorgeous that I can't even describe her, and even if I could, you'd never believe me.

I've known her for years, and she's my world. She's always loved me back, but I've never shown how deeply I truly reciprocate the feeling. It's not that I want to hurt her, quite the contrary. She's an angel, and she's far too wonderful to waste her time on me. I would only hurt her in the end; she deserves much better than that.

She's tried so many times to get me to change my mind, but each time, I turn her down. Then, when I see that sorrow in her eyes, I feel like a monster, but it's all for the best. I decided long ago that I'd turn her down until she finally gives up and finds someone as incredible as she deserves. Then, I'd just be content staying by her side as one of her dearest friends.

On that particular day, I watched her angelic eyes light up, her beautiful face soften with a beaming smile as she laughed with her best friend, Ino. She could light up an entire city with that expression. She was perfect: kind and feminine, but also strong and charismatic. She had boundless energy when something interested her, but she also knew when to get serious. She never let anything get her down, nor did she let people push her or her friends around. God, the way her seafoam green eyes burned with a fiery passion when she fought for something she believed in.

Ino gently straightened her bright red hair-band, grinning. "What am I gonna do with you?" the blonde joked. "I can't leave you alone for two minutes, can I?" The other chuckled.

"Oh, whoops, thanks for noticing, Ino-chan. I'm a mess aren't I?"

"Always were. I remember cleaning the mud off you when we were kids." The shared another laugh. She couldn't look more beautiful. Ino and I may hate each other, but the hair-band looked good, I'll give her that. I remember hearing that Ino had given it to her when they were young.

The object of my affections seemed to notice me out of the corner of her eye. Her whole face brightened further; I loved that I had that effect on her.

"Sasuke-kun!" she called. No one said my name with quite the same vigor and warmth. "How long have you been standing there? You should've said something!" I just gave her a playful smirk as she lightly embraced me. If I hadn't been so entranced by the goddess clinging to me, I probably would've noticed Ino glaring at me (I swear, if looks could kill).

"You seemed busy," I replied simply. She hit me playfully.

"You're so…" she sighed, having no adjective to describe me. "Anyway, I meant to ask, did you see Naruto yet?" I nodded. The three of us were about as inseparable as Neji, Lee, and Tenten. Naruto was my very best friend, second to no one. I usually saw him in the morning as he locked up his bike.

"Yeah, he was with Neji, Lee, and Hinata." It was rare for the four of them to walk together even though they were neighbors, but that was normally because Naruto was with Gaara.  
"Are Naruto and Hinata-chan dating yet?" I couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"No, not yet." Sakura sighed.

"Well, we're gonna have to change that."

"Sakura-chan," Ino cut in, "we should probably get to class." It was obvious that she was impatient and irritated with me. I still have no idea what her problem is with me. I feel like she hated me before we even met. Naruto thinks that we were enemies in a past life or something.

Sakura checked the clock behind her. "Oh, you're probably right." The two began to leave, Sakura waving me off. But, as she left, her back to me, I felt as though my world was shattering.

"Wait," I began softly. She turned, concerned at my change in tone. And as I stared into those deep green eyes, I suddenly wanted to blurt out everything. I wanted to shout that I loved her, to tell her that she was the most beautiful creature on the planet and I'd do anything for her. I stopped myself, before I did something regrettable and stupid, for her sake.

"Is something wrong, Sasuke-kun?" I just smiled sadly.

"No, I just wanted to tell you that Naruto and I are eating lunch with Neji today. You should come too." Sakura grinned.

"Sure thing!" And then she left, off into the distance. I felt some piece of me disappear, leaving a looming, empty void. Hiding your feelings can be Hell, but I did it anyway, all for her.

The rest of my morning classes were pretty uneventful. I'm no idiot. Most of my classes were easy, and in comparison to what Neji's workload is, sophomore year is a breeze. Then, I got to English, the one non-theatre class that I share with Gaara. He wasn't there. It was strange; I was really starting to miss him. He sat next to me in English, and the two of us were usually paired together in theatre. Without him, school was lacking.

It's funny how quickly things change. Gaara and I hated each other for the longest time. We'd compete; he'd be furious with me, and I'd tease him mercilessly. I think it first started because we were both jealous of each other's close relationship with Naruto (I was jealous of Neji at first for the same reason). He hated how close Naruto and I were, and I hated the way that Naruto confided in him. He hated my guts, and something about him truly bothered me. Then, when we joined theatre, we started working together. We began to feel more and more comfortable with each other. We started to be able to joke and laugh around each other. He started to smile around me. Nowadays, he does so often. His smile was almost as perfect as Sakura's, and the first time that I thought that, it scared me. I thought that I was going insane. Then, I started to notice how pretty his iridescent eyes and soft crimson hair were. It was like I was seeing a totally new and different Gaara. I imagined what his lips would feel like, how his body would feel pressed flush against mine. And, after all these fantasies started, he and I grew even closer. We began touching more often, small things: a hand on the shoulder, a one-armed hug. I began smiling around him more and more. It was almost like being with Sakura, as if my brain could no longer tell the difference.

Because of all these new developments, our chemistry grew and developed so well that Gai and Kakashi even began casting us opposite each other. Gaara seemed to enjoy it about as much as I did. He could never replace Sakura, but still, I wondered what it would be like to go on a date. All that I was sure of was that I wanted, needed to see him soon. I hoped that he'd recover from this strange illness.

English ended with no warning. I had practically fallen asleep, daydreaming. The bell rang, and I realized that it was time for lunch. It took me what felt like hours to gather my thoughts. Finally, I put away my supplies and left the room last (just after the teacher). I headed upstairs to Lee's locker (Neji, Lee, and Tenten's spot). I figured that everyone would be waiting when I got there.

I stood corrected, however, as Naruto and Sakura were nowhere in sight. They were probably getting lunch from the cafeteria (instant ramen, no doubt, at least, on Naruto's part). Instead, only Neji, Tenten, and Lee were there, but there was not the usual happy air of students sitting down for a well-deserved break from schoolwork. No, it was almost solemn. Neji was lying in Lee's lap, looking absolutely enervated. I had never seen the brunette look so tired. Something was definitely wrong.

Sneaking closer, I hid behind a nearby wall, hoping to hear some of their conversation.

Tenten was the first to speak: "He had _another_ night terror, last night?!" she cried. Lee nodded sadly.

"Yes, I have not seen him like this since Hiashi-san passed away." Tenten gasped.

"Oh God! Don't even say that, Lee! I don't even wanna think about him like that again. He was a wreck; you both were."

"I…I know, Tenten-chan, but look at the signs: his night terrors are worse, he is not eating, and he is tired all of the time. I fear the worse is yet to come." Tenten's hazel eyes widened.

"You don't mean-" Lee simply nodded again. The two were quiet for a while as they considered the implications of such a thing.

"But there is something else that is bothering me…" Tenten gave him a look that simply said, "Go on." "Well, at first, I thought that Hiashi-san's death was the trigger to Neji's breakdown, but then I realized that Neji had been deteriorating for months beforehand. Do you not remember how bad he had gotten second semester, sophomore year?" The chestnut-haired girl seemed to cringe at the thought.

"Oh God…I remember now. Sometime after finals, you and he started sharing a bed, and you told me about the night terrors…" Lee sighed.

"Yes, but then, he was only having them very rarely. As the year went on though, he started having them more and more often. He also stopped eating and could not keep himself awake during the day."

"Just like now!" Tenten gasped.

"Yes, and then, towards the end of the year, his mind started playing tricks on him. It finally escalated to…the incident…" Tenten shook her head at the thought.

"And poor Shino was the one who found him. I'd never seen him so scared. He was so worried about Nej even though they barely knew each other." Lee nodded.

"Shino-kun is a very good guy."

"Yeah…Lee, are you saying that Neji might end up like…_that_ again?" At this, Lee just shook his head.

"I cannot know for sure, Tenten-chan. I certainly hope not." Before the conversation could continue any further, Neji moaned, coming to.

"Mmmmmn, how long was I out?"

"Just a few minutes." But, by then, I had stopped listening. Neji had broken down? His sophomore year…I had been a freshman then, but we had still been in theatre together. How could I have missed such a significant change in one of my friends? Was I just oblivious to other people's problems? Or was Neji just an incredible actor? I hoped to God that it was the latter. Still, I felt like a terrible person for not noticing. Even if Neji had been acting, I should've noticed. Did it mean that I wasn't trustworthy enough to confide in? The idea of that hurt.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun, there you are! We were looking all over for you!" I turned to find Sakura and Naruto staring at me, both grinning. I smirked back. "What are you doing all the way over here?" asked my favorite pink-haired girl.

"Nothing much," I lied, shrugging. "I was just thinking."

"Well come on, Teme!" **(2)** shouted a certain boisterous blonde. "We shouldn't keep them waiting!" With that, Naruto dragged both of us over to the three already seated.

"Hey, guys, what's up?" Lee and Tenten both told Naruto and Sakura about their days so far, and then proceeded to ask them to reciprocate the action. Neji just smiled. I took a seat next to him.

"Hey," I greeted casually, trying not to give away what I'd eavesdropped on just moments beforehand. It was quite a feat, especially when the person to whom you're lying to seems like he can see right through you.

And he did; instead of greeting me in turn, he frowned. "Is something wrong, Sasuke?" _"I'm just worried about you,"_ was what I wanted to say, but I said nothing.

"I'm just," I began. "Neji…you know you can tell me when something's bothering you, right?" Neji cocked his head in confusion.

"What brought this on?" I sighed.

"Nothing…I'm…you haven't been looking well lately, and I just thought that something might be wrong. I'm worried about you." Neji seemed taken aback at first, before he smiled sincerely.

"You know," he began. "You're a better person than you think, Sasuke." He gestured to Sakura. "You should really ask her out. You won't destroy her, Sasuke. You're not a monster; on the contrary, you're very kind. You're perfectly human and a good one at that." As he finished, I wanted to cry. Neji…he always had a way of saying exactly what I wanted to hear, but he never let me worry about him. He never let anyone worry about him. It frustrated me to no end.

I gripped his shoulders, turning him towards me. "Dammit, Neji! Why do you always have to do this? You always glance over your problems in favor of mine! But maybe I don't want to talk about mine; maybe I want to talk about yours! Neji, maybe I just want a chance to help you, instead of helping myself!" Needless to say, Neji was shocked at my outburst.

"Sasuke," he murmured calmly, "I don't want to push my problems on you."

"But you let me push my problems on you all the time!" I retorted. He refused to meet my eyes. "Neji, you don't have to be superhuman. You can have problems; you can! No one's going to think any less of you." With no warning, Neji stood. He was looking down, a shadow blocking his eyes from view. Still, he gently tousled my hair in a brotherly fashion.

"It's okay," he whispered, barely audible. There was an unspoken meaning: _"Don't go there, Sasuke. My burdens will crush you. I don't want that."_ He left without another word. This did nothing more than make me wonder what on earth could've happened to him that was so bad. It seemed almost cataclysmic to his sanity. I felt comforting a hand on my shoulder. It was Naruto. I looked to him, only to find that he, Sakura, Tenten, and Lee had seen the entire exchange. It's funny; I had completely forgotten that they were there.

Naruto flashed me a melancholy smile. "It's not just you, Sasuke," he murmured. "Neji…he's always been like that. Hinata and I were the first to notice. No matter what situation we're in, no matter what angle I look from…the only part of Neji I can see is his back. Hinata and me…it always feels like we're leagues behind him. At first, we thought it was because he was older. But then, we got older too. We thought that maybe it was because he was so strong, but then, one day, we realized that Neji…he'll always be ahead of us. Even if I become stronger than him, I'll only be seeing Neji's back. That's just…the way he is.

"Whenever things get too much for someone, Neji'll always come in with a smile. He'll say, 'It's okay; you did your best. Now, let Nii-chan handle it from here.' And then he takes care of it, whatever it may be. He's the type that shoulders everyone's burdens when they become too much for them. And he'll carry it on his shoulders like it's nothing. That's just the way he is." When Naruto stopped, everyone was completely silent. I felt like crying.

"Why? What about him? What happens when _his_ burdens become too much? Who does he turn to?" Lee stood finally.

"He turns to me," he uttered before going to find Neji. Tenten backed against the lockers, pulling her knees to her chest.

"What am I gonna do with them?" she asked Sakura, who merely shook her head solemnly. At this point, I'd had enough.

"I have to go," I cut in sharply. I stood and left the scene, ignoring my friends' questions of "Sasuke-kun, where're you going?" and "What do ya think you're doing-ttebayo?" **(3)**

From there, I left the school, having no idea of where to go. I couldn't go back to my house. I just couldn't face Itachi then. And I didn't want to go anywhere that had people. I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts.

It was freezing outside, especially since I didn't grab my coat on the way out. In this cold, I figured that no one would be outside anyway, but still, it didn't quite feel secluded enough. It felt like anyone could find me at any time. That's when it hit me: the beach. The mid-winter chill was so bracing that _no one_ in their right minds would be there. I would be isolated, the perfect place to be alone and just think for a while.

The school was only a few blocks west of the beach. Teachers would often find excuses to go there for "lessons" since it was so close. As I grew near the shores, a familiar feeling hit me: for some reason, whenever I went close to the beach, I could almost sense the presence of water. The beach emitted a strange aura that I could always feel. Sometimes it felt as thought the sky grew larger and clearer as I approached the water, as if I could see farther than ever before. Once, when I asked her, Sakura said that she felt the same thing. She thought that it was caused by a primal urge to get back to the water where life was born. It was a desire to return to nativity, to the womb, and that's why water as an archetype often represented baptism and birth and rebirth. Yeah, that sounds like her. That day, the aura was oddly comforting to my confused and chaotic mind. Though, I suppose if you look at it from Sakura's perspective, the odd comforting feeling made perfect sense. I suppose I was longing for safety, something that I only could truly find in the womb. I shook my head at the thought. Now, I was starting to think like her.

I rubbed my arms, hoping to offer some warmth and escape from the brisk January chill. At least I had long sleeves. I descended the concrete stairs down to the sand below, passing by the water purification plant and the many signs that read "private property: no trespassing." This part of the beach was private, but no one actually abided by the private property laws, and the police had given up on trying to enforce them.

As I stepped onto the sand for the first time, a chill crept its way down my spine, leaving Goosebumps in its wake. However, this chill was not caused by the weather. No, I had a bad feeling. My onmyoji **(4)** senses were tingling, or in other words, I sensed evil.

I'll admit, my sixth sense isn't nearly as powerful or finely-tuned (so to speak) as Neji's or Nii-chan's, but I know an evil presence when I sense one. And this one was about as evil as they came. I closed my eyes, trying to pinpoint the location of the evil. Sure enough, it was close, _very_ close. I scrutinized the beach until I managed to spot something red to my right. I stood paralyzed for a moment, torn between going to handle the situation myself and going to find Itachi or Neji. In the end, I chose the former. Hey, at least I thought about it. If Neji had been in this situation, he wouldn't have even considered getting help. In fact, he wouldn't have even paused; he would've just charged in. That Neji…for a so-called prodigy, he sure is impulsive…and people wonder where Naruto gets it from.

By the time I had finished musing about Neji, I was close enough to the red something to see that it was a person, a very familiar person: Gaara. I didn't take the time to wonder why the redhead was out here because well…you remember that evil I felt? Well, I'd found it all right. The source of it was a collection of black mist, and it was swarming all over the redhead. To make things even weirder (be that possible), the sand around Gaara was trying to attack the mist only to be blown back by what appeared to be black lightning.

I only allowed myself to be incapacitated with complete and utter shock for a moment, before I recalled my duty as an onmyoji of the Uchiha Shrine. Quickly, I pulled a sutra from my pocket and wrapped it around my palm. Pointing my hand at the mist, I shouted "Katon: harai!" **(5)** The mist burst into flames, writhing and screaming before finally burning away into nothing. The sand seemed to calm as it fell back to the ground, inanimate once more. Had I been just a bit crazier, I would've told you that the sand had seemed relieved at the disappearance of the mist. I shook my head, snapping myself out of this train of thought. Gaara was more important than the possibility of emotive sand. I knelt down beside him, lightly shaking him. "Gaara? Gaara, can you hear me? Wake up." My voice was stern, sharp, but still calm.

The redhead moaned softly as he came to. His eyes barely opened, giving me a close-up view of bright turquoise irises. He was very calm as he woke himself up. "What happened?" he groaned out quietly. "Wh-where…am I?" Then, he seemed to notice me in his haze. "Sas…uke…kun?" I gave him a genuine smile. I had to admit, the way he said my name was pretty cute,

"Hey," I greeted softly, as not to startle him. "You okay?" He didn't respond, instead he just continued to stare at me with dazed eyes. "Here," I began again, "let me take you home." He nodded, showing that he at least understood me. I helped him to his feet. Still, he was shaking like mad. He was barely standing for two seconds before he swooned, falling back to the ground. Except, this time, he didn't wake up no matter how roughly I shook him, or how loudly I called his name.

After a few moments of deliberating with myself, I ended up carrying him home. However, I took him to my house rather than his. Now that he was unconscious, I had no way to get into his house. Besides, the idea of him at my house made me feel better about his safety, especially after the incident with the mist. I could ask Itachi about that later.

When I finally reached the shrine and subsequently the house, I found myself unable to go in. Just like earlier, I couldn't find it in me to face Itachi. It made no sense. My brother was kind and understanding, so I truly had no reason to worry, but just the thought of explaining the whole situation to him made me feel sick. Finally, I mustered up all of my courage and opened the door. The house was dark, but I barely noticed. "Nii-chan?" I called hesitantly. There was no response. Closing the door behind me, I proceeded to turn the hall light on. "Nii-chan?" I attempted a second time. Still nothing. "Itachi?" It was about then that I realized that it was midday; Itachi was at work. I could have just come home in the first place, but then again, if I had, then I wouldn't have found Gaara. "Oh shit! That's right! I should probably lie him down somewhere."

As I ascended the stairs to my room, I thought of how Gaara would've reacted to my absent-mindedness. _"Sasuke-kun…and you call me a space-case."_ I laid him down on my bed, picturing his small smile. But then, I noticed how sickly the Gaara in front of me seemed. He was pale, the shadows under his eyes even thicker than usual. He moaned softly.

"Gaara?" I called gently. "You awake?" There was no response at first. He merely turned with another soft noise. I had to admit; he was pretty cute. "Gaara?" I tried again. He rolled over.

"Sh…Shi…ka…maru." My eyes widened as that name escaped his lips. Shikamaru? Why Shikamaru of all people? Why would Gaara be calling that lazy Nara's name in his sleep? "C-come…back…" This was getting ridiculous. Shikamaru was dating Gaara's sister. Why would the redhead care so much for him? I mean, I knew that they were friends, but this?

It was then that I remembered something that I had seen a week or so beforehand. It had been after the auditions for our next play, _A Midsummer Night's Dream_. The callbacks had been nerve-wracking, but afterwards, Gaara and I had both been waiting to get picked up from the school. Shikamaru had shown up instead of Temari, and Gaara's entire face just seemed to light up. I had never seen Gaara smile so widely.

"_You look exhausted."_

"_It was really tough this time, Shika."_

"_I'm sure. Well, it's over now; come on, your sister's waiting." _

Shikamaru had then grabbed Gaara's hand and led him out of the school, but I'll never forget the fiery blush that had overtaken Gaara's face then, nor the dreamy smile that had softened all of his features.

It was obvious now; Gaara was in love with Shikamaru.

No, not just "in love", he was head-over-heals, out of his mind, and just plain dreamy-eyed. But, there was a problem: Shikamaru and Temari had been going steady for a while, a real whirlwind romance. Gaara was in love with his sister's boyfriend, and if I knew that redhead at all (which I'm almost certain that I did), there was no way in Hell that he would ever try to fight Temari for Shikamaru. Gaara _never_ put his own happiness above others'. Yeah, he's a real selfless idiot like that.

Still, this whole situation meant one important thing: Gaara and I had the same problem. Neither of us could confess our feelings to the people that we loved. A wry smile crossed my face. At least, we could comfort each other.

"Mmmm, where am I?" the redhead groaned out as he began to awaken. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before finally noticing my presence. "Sasuke-kun?" He blinked cutely, confused at his surroundings and looking to me for answers.

"You sound just like her," I murmured, staring at him soberly.

"Like who?" I sighed.

"I'm in love with Sakura," I confessed, my mouth moving without my brain's consent. Gaara seemed taken aback at first before smiling.

"Oh, that's great," he murmured. "She's in love with you too, so you two'll be fine." I shook my head.

"Gaara, I don't deserve her. I'm a terrible person. She needs someone better. I'll only destroy her in the end." If you asked me why I was pushing all of my feelings on him so suddenly, I wouldn't have been able to tell you. It was as though a dam had broken from the moment that he had called my name. "I don't deserve to be in her life." Gaara looked up at me with wide peridot eyes as I uttered those words.

"Sasuke-kun, don't say that! If you weren't in Sakura-san's life, then you probably wouldn't be here now, and that would make a lot of people very unhappy," he trailed off before beginning again, softer this time, "…including me." I gave him a wry smile.

"You know," I started, on a different topic, "when Naruto first told me about how kind you are…I didn't believe him. Nowadays though," I gently tipped his chin upwards, looking him straight in the eye. "I know exactly what he means." I climbed onto the bed, placing my hands on either side of his head. My body was moving on its own at this point. It was as though my brain had shut down completely and I was running instinct alone. "You know, Gaara, you and I…we really are similar." He cocked his head, confused. I chuckled dryly. "Neither of us can have the ones we want." Again, those eyes widened.

"W-wha-?" he stammered.

"Me with Sakura, and you with Shikamaru." This time, his jaw dropped; he backed away, looking about ready to faint again.

"W-what…what're you talking about?" he managed.

"Come on, Gaara; you don't have to hide it. It's obvious you're in love with him." Gaara just stared at me with that frightened, deer-in-headlights expression. He began to hyperventilate.

"No…y-you-re wrong…I…I can't-" I gently placed a finger over his lips, quieting him.

"It's okay, Gaara; we can comfort each other." I leaned down, softly whispering in his ear, "We both need this." Without another word, I claimed his lips in chaste but passionate and needy kiss, and after a moment, I knew I'd done the right thing when Gaara leaned against me, melting into the kiss.

Here's to love and loss.

***Not gonna lie, that turned out VERY different from my first draft (I write two drafts, one by hand and then one on the computer, you'd think it would make my writing better, but…no, no it doesn't). Usually there are subtle differences. Sometimes, there are big differences in dialogue (like in chapter 2), but this time, there was a major variation in plot, which hasn't really happened yet. Well, this calls for a celebration! Break out the champagne! Btw, when I say major variation in plot, I mean that in my notebook, the scene between Neji and Sasuke was originally funny. Wow. Oh well, I hope you enjoy this version more. I have to say, Neji is an INCREDIBLY hard character to write in this fic. Neji's supposed to be a very older brother character that takes on the duty of protecting and caring for everyone. The only character that he can't seem to do this for is Lee. But I feel like I've shown you guys too much of his weakness and not enough of his strength. What do you guys think? I plan on having him play a much stronger role once the supernatural stuff comes out of the bag. Anyway, have some endnotes:**

**1- Sorry if this is a bit off from the actual sonnet. I didn't reference it.**

**2- Teme more or less translates into "bastard."**

**3- 'ttebayo is a form of dattebayo which is a nonsense word that Naruto uses in the anime.**

**4- an onmyoji is pretty much a Shinto priest.**

**5- "Katon: harai" roughly translates into "Fire style: Purification."**

**Well, one last thing: I changed the title to "Neighborhood #1: Clef" because I decided that I'm using music terms for the titles since music plays an integral role in this fic (and my life for that matter). A clef is ****a symbol at the beginning of the staff defining the pitch of the notes found in that particular staff. I found it to be particularly appropriate. **


	8. You Came Along and You Cut Me Loose 2

***Okay, you wanna know how you can tell if your obsessed with Naruto? Basically, this: I saw my pre-calculus teacher from last year earlier today (MR. ZAMIN!! OMG HE'S SUCH A PARTY!!) He has a few kids, so I said, "How're the little Zamins?" And in response he said, "Well, the whole Zamin Clan is doing pretty good." Do you know what the first thing I thought was? "Yes, the Zamin Clan, they are one of Konoha's oldest and noblest clans, with a kekkei genkai that makes them proficient in math!" Dude, I really need to lay off the manga for a while. Oh God, what happens when Ms. Burns (my current Calculus teacher) says something about ninjas? "Yes, Keely Burns, an S-class criminal on the Anbu hitlist. She's committed the most heinous crime in Konoha history…teaching derivatives to ninjas!! The horror." Okay, I'm done. Anyway, chapter 8!!! Well, I'd like to apologize to everyone who expected an update of a different variety (to Tennessee or Kamehameha…all my stories have nicknames, I'm also working on a series of ShikaNeji oneshots that I like to call Philosopher's Smackdown). I've just been in a Neighborhood mood lately, that's all. I mean, before that I was totally in a Tennessee mood, and hopefully that'll come back, so everyone can find out what happens to Lee and Suna! Anyway, I've been busy with school, but I've been trying to save time to have some fun and write, and well, you guys get an update in the process, right? Anyway, I'm feeling an awful lot like my nemesis right now. Who's my nemesis? You guessed it: Faulkner. Look, I just wrote the same day from like 4 different perspectives! Goddamn! I'm becoming what I have a quirky love/hate relationship with! What a twist! Oh, speaking of twists, you're gonna have to wait one more chapter before SasuGaa comes into play…SORRY!!! I didn't mean to; it just happened! (God, I sound like a girl trying to explain to his parents why she got pregnant out of wedlock). Anyway, there is some great LeeNeji action and some insight into the past of their relationship. So, without further ado, have your next chapter!**

**Disclaimer:**** I have of late—but/ Wherefore I know not--lost all my mirth, forgone all/ Custom of exercises; and indeed it goes so heavily/ With my disposition that this goodly frame, the/ Earth, seems to me a sterile promontory, this most/ Excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave/ O'erhanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted/ With golden fire, why, it appears no other thing to/ Me than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours./ What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason!/ How infinite in faculty! in form and moving how/ Express and admirable! in action how like an angel!/ In apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the/ World! the paragon of animals! And yet, to me,/ What is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me.**

**-Hamlet (**_**Hamlet**_** 2.2 Sorry for reusing plays, but God, I was in a mood for this. I swear, I started reciting it during my Euro test…I hope I didn't write any of it on my essay. Kucharski would be very confused… P.S. I don't own anything that I happen to mention in my story…especially Naruto).**

**Particularly Appropriate Music (lots of songs this time): I've Been Asleep for a Long, Long Time- Hey Rosetta!, Wake Up- Arcade Fire, Knives Out- Radiohead, Follow the Leader- Matthew Ryan, All the Go Inbetweens- Silversun Pickups, Amsterdam- Coldplay, Neighbour- Mother Mother (highly recommend this song), Eileen- The Hush Sound, There, There- Radiohead, X&Y- Coldplay, Protection- Massive Attack, You Know You're Right- Nirvana, A Rush of Blood to the Head- Coldplay, Midnight- Cinderpop (this song kind of embodies this chapter) Fake Plastic Trees- Radiohead, and Yesterday- The Beatles.**

**A Series of Incoherent Musings #4 (Neji): You Came Along and You Cut Me Loose Part 2**

_I looked to the ground, evading the warm eyes of the odd-looking, black-haired boy who had just saved my life. If I had glanced around at my surroundings, I would have seen Tenten, Hinata, and Naruto. Beyond them was the forest, which up until about dawn that morning had been swarming with demons and dark spirits. _

_I fidgeted with my hair, my hair-tie lost long ago. I refused to look up, knowing that the moment that I did, my fiery blush would be revealed for all of the world to see. Finally, I spoke: "I owe you one," I muttered. A soft chuckle rumbled from where the one known as Rock Lee stood. Surprised at the noise, I glanced up, meeting those (dare I say it) beautiful onyx eyes. He flashed me the warmest smile I had ever seen. _

"_No, Neji-kun," he began genially, "you do not owe me anything." I glared at the boy, wondering what he was playing at. I shook my head. _

"_I refuse to remain in debt," I growled out. He just grinned. _

"_Well, Neji-kun, if you insist," he trailed off. "Consider your debt repaid." With that, he took the opportunity of my confusion to gently cup my cheek and push his lips to mine. My eyes widened considerably, before closing in pleasure. Even I could not deny how good this felt. It was so warm, so soft. I had never felt so safe._

_Finally, he pulled away slightly, giving me a sappy smile. "Well, Neji-kun," he murmured nervously, "will you do me the honor of letting me take you on a date?" My head swam at the thought. A date with Rock Lee? Why did the idea sound so pleasant? Why did I enjoy that kiss? What was wrong with me?! The day's chaos finally caught up with me, and I fainted. The last sound I heard was his frantic cry of "Neji-kun!" before all became darkness and then, nothing. _

"Neji?" called a familiar voice, thus snapping me out of my reverie. My gaze met the same eyes of the boy who had saved my life all those years ago. He was exactly the same, and yet completely different. I let a sad smile cross my face. "I am sorry that you and Sasuke-kun fought," he said softly, approaching me with that concerned expression. With a sigh, I gazed upwards, meeting his onyx eyes. I was leaning against the lockers in an empty hallway. Lee was standing in front of me. I didn't know why at the time, but for some reason, his mere presence was enough to make me want to cry. "Neji, is everything all right?" With another shaky sigh, I backed against the lockers, sliding down until I was sitting on the floor. Lee knelt down beside me. I closed my eyes.

I felt his hand on my forehead, then on various places on my face and neck. "Lee," I spoke finally; my voice was hoarse. "What're you doing?"

"Checking for fever," he responded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I'm not sick Lee," I said simply.

"No, you are not…at least, not in a place where I can easily cure you…" His words were cryptic, and yet, I understood them completely. He pulled me against him.

"Lee?"

"Sometimes…it feels like the only thing that I can do is hold you." I leaned into him.

"I like it when you hold me." He nodded, cupping my cheek and gently guiding my gaze upwards so that my eyes once again met his.

"Why will you not let me heal you, Neji?" I swallowed, feeling tears prick my eyes. He was he so warm. Why was he so warm? When he held me like this, it made me feel as if I belonged somewhere, if only just for a moment.

"Heal me?" He kissed my forehead.

"I want you to tell me everything. I have wanted that since I first laid eyes on you, but…" he trailed off, closing his eyes. "I…I suppose that I cannot expect you to tell me everything unless I tell you everything as well." He was beginning to worry me.

"Lee?"

"Neji, do you know what my worst fear is?" I simply shook my head. He held me tighter. His voice was shaking too. "Neji, I fear that one day you will simply disappear. Ever since I met you, I have felt it. The first time I saw you, I got a bad feeling…and it has never gone away. Except this bad feeling is different than the others; I know vaguely what will happen this time. You will vanish. Somehow, someway, you will disappear. That is all that I know." He took another deep, shaky breath. "At first, I did not know you, so I thought, 'When he disappears, Tenten will be very sad.' That was all, but then, I got to know you too. I grew to love you, so very much. And now, now Neji, if you were to vanish I would not know what to do with myself! All that I can think of is that when you disappear, I want to disappear with you, but I know that will not happen, or I would have felt that too. What if I never see you again? What would I do without you?" He was about to cry; I knew that he was, but Lee…he never cried, at least, not in front of me. "This is why I always want to hold you, to kiss you. When I touch you, Neji, it reaffirms your existence. It means that you are real, that you are still here. I-" he cut off when he heard my shaky breaths. "Neji," he called softly, "why are you crying? Is it something that I did?" I shook my head. "Then why?"

"Because you won't!" I burst out. "You never cry for yourself, Lee, so I have to cry for you!" I broke down in his arms, sobbing. He found it in him to smile gently at me, rocking me in his arms.

"Neji…Sweetheart, please do not cry. You know that I do not know what to do when you cry." I nodded, trying to calm myself to no avail. He beamed. "Neji-koi, if you do not stop acting so endearing, then I will never be able to let you go."

"Then don't let me go," I managed, resting my head on his shoulder. I always felt safe in his arms, ever since our first battle. He was always looking after me, always watching over me. "Oh, Lee, you're always protecting me," I murmured. It was so true. He did so much for me, but it felt as if I could do nothing for him in return. Still, Lee had a much different response than what I expected.

"Protecting you?" he scoffed. "No, I try to, but I never can." I shook my head.

"Lee, you're being stupid. You protect me all the time; you've done it since the day we met."

"No, Neji, if I could protect you, truly protect you, you would not be having night terrors every other night. You would have to cry over me. I would not have to fear you disappearing everyday." I wanted to comfort him, to tell him that he was wrong, that he could never work miracles and he already did plenty. No words would come. Suddenly, I was feeling very sick. I was practically limp in Lee's arms.

"Lee," I called. Obviously, I sounded about as bad as I felt, as Lee was staring at me with an anxious expression.

"Neji-koi," he murmured, worried.

"I…I'm so tired all of the sudden." Lee tipped my chin up with his forefinger and thumb. He scrutinized my face, gaze lingering especially long on my eyes.

"Oh, Neji, you look terrible." I sighed, falling back against him. Lee kissed me; it only lasted for a moment, but it made me feel better, if only just a bit. He pulled me into his lap. "Are you hurting anywhere?" I sighed longingly, snuggling closer to him.

"No," I lied, not wanting to worry him anymore than he already was, but he, being Lee, saw right through me.

"It is all right, my love. You can tell me." I let out another sigh.

"My head," I confessed simply, but it was enough for him. He gently massaged my temples, his warm hands soothing the pain. His soft ministrations easily lulled me into a half-asleep haze. But, suddenly, his hands left my head, resting instead on my torso.

"Better?" he questioned cheerily. I blinked awake, looking up at him through dazed, half-lidded eyes. He just laughed softly. "You are so cute, Neji-koi." He kissed me again. I did not smile, but I hadn't felt that content in a long while. Lee always had that effect on me. At that moment, as I lay in his warm, warm arms, I wanted more than anything to be Lee's heart. I wanted to beat inside his chest, enveloped by his warmth, his essence, his life. I would be a part of him, be the source of his life. When he would die, I would too. But then, I couldn't even kiss him. He wouldn't be able to hold me anymore.

I didn't realize that I had fallen asleep until I awoke to find myself in a cold, unfamiliar place. I was moving. The skin that was exposed to the air was freezing, but the rest of my body was surrounded by something warm, so warm. It smelled nice, familiar. I fell back asleep without a second thought.

_I ran through the forest, panting heavily. I had to get away. I had to get as far away from them as possible. __**They**__ were after me, and only me. As long as I was far away from them, __**they **__wouldn't go after them, only me. _

_I could feel my heart pounding all throughout my body. I felt so overheated, so overpowered. The Hyuuga power was flowing through my body at an unnatural rate. It felt ready to explode out of me, bursting. If such a thing were to happen, my body would burn away, and I would die. _

_**They**__ were surrounding me, longing to suck me dry, longing to take the Hyuuga power that had been bestowed upon me. One false move, one slip up, and __**they **__had me. That was all that it took. It was the first full moon on the winter solstice in a long while, after all. __**Their **__powers were at their strongest, as were mine. __**They **__knew that one "sip" of my power would be enough to give __**them**__ omnipotence, limitless power. It was like a feast for __**them**__. I had to keep running. _

_Then, the worst happened: I tripped. I fell to the cold ground, gritting my teeth. I was only down for a moment, but a moment was all that it took. A demoness appeared before me, grinning like a Cheshire cat. She stalked towards me, swaying her hips. "Well, well, well," she cooed out, "what's a cute little Hyuuga like you doing with all that power?" She cupped my cheek, but for some reason, I found myself frozen in place. Whether it was the demon's doing or my own fear that did so, well, I suppose I'll never know. "Poor dear," she continued, licking her lips. "It seems that little body of yours can hardly contain it all." She leaned closer. "Well don't you worry," she began sweetly, "let me take care of that." As she moved to get a taste of my power, my mind swam, vision blurring. I felt nauseous. I fainted._

_I awoke a few minutes later, covered in both my and the demoness's blood. Her body was gone; I had purified her. I started to hyperventilate. What on Earth just happened? Before I could truly contemplate a good response, I began to sense more demons on my tail. My eyes widened. Quickly, I picked my quivering, aching body off of the ground and began to run again. _

When I next awoke, I almost fell right back to sleep. I had never felt so warm. It was lovely, wonderful. I heard someone softly humming. It was not the greatest of voices, but it was still breathtaking in its own right. I slipped my eyes open, longing to see the person to whom this voice belonged. However, when I looked, all I could see was someone's back as they worked at a nearby desk. I blinked, looking around. I was in my room, in my bed. Lee was at the desk doing what appeared to be homework.

"Lee?" I called, my voice all but gone. Still, it was loud enough for the black-haired boy to hear. He turned with a smile, before approaching the bed. He climbed in beside me, wrapping his arms around me.

"Welcome back," he whispered. I curled against him.

"Lee…what happened?" He laughed softly.

"You finally fell asleep. I could not bear to wake you, so I carried you home." As he finished, I closed my eyes with a soft sigh.

"You're so…crazy," I murmured, already half-asleep.

"Would you have me any other way?" I shook my head lazily. "Now try to get some sleep, love; you can barely keep your eyes open. You have not had a good night's sleep in days." I shook my head.

"I can't, Lee; I need to go back to school. What about Hinata and Hanabi? What about the shrine? What about work?" I pushed away from him, staring with both determined and frantic eyes. "I can't just take a break! I have responsibilities! I have to take care of everyone. I-" Lee quieted me with a gentle kiss before pulling me back against him. I felt dizzy with warmth in his arms. It was wonderful. His mere presence just made all of my worries seem to melt away. I sighed.

"Shhh, it is all right," he soothed. "Sasuke-kun was right, my love. You do not have to be superhuman. Everyone needs a day off.

"But-"

He shushed me, gently cupping my cheek to look into my eyes. "Just do what you can, Neji. That is all that anyone can ask of you." We were silent for a few moments. How did he always manage to quell my fears like that? How did he do that to me?

"I'm so tired, Lee," I managed, barely audible. He lightly kissed my forehead.

"I know, my love; I know. Now go to sleep." This time, I listened.

_It felt like I had running for days. I had just taken out another demon to add to the already mounting death toll (I had lost count hours ago). I was exhausted, covered in cuts and bruises as well as the blood of demons. My aura had spiked. It was now palpable, surrounding me within a ten-foot radius. I was enveloped by it. It was far too much. At this point, I was hyperventilating, shaking like mad. My eyes were wide and erratic. I no longer knew where I was or why I was there. I could not even remember my own name. _

_It was starting to happen; I was burning up both literally and with fever. I was dying, and the demons couldn't get enough of it. _

_I slowed to a walk, my tremors getting worse. I was too weary, too delirious to even notice. A large blue demon jumped out from the trees. It licked its lips at the sight of my power. It headed towards me, but the moment that it got close enough, its body entered my aura. It disintegrated into nothing, purified. I was crazy overpowered, all right. _

_As I moved to continue further, I stopped as a rumble of a chuckle erupted from the trees. "Kawaii," it cooed. "You've completely lost yourself, haven't you?" I, of course, did not respond. "Good," it purred, "once I get rid of that pesky aura of yours, you'll be too far-gone to struggle. I love it when they can't fight back." I was dizzy with power, so much so that when a spider web covered with antisutras was flung at me, I didn't so much as blink. When the web trapped me against a tree, my aura was trapped with me, locked away. The laughter came again, this time from a six-armed demon in front of me. He tipped my chin upwards with a smirk. I was completely limp, my fever rising. "Well, Hyuuga-chan, my name's Kidoumaru, and you belong to me now." He licked up and down my neck. _

"_Why don't we play a little game? I call it Predator and Prey." With that, he bit into my neck, but I didn't even flinch. My body was no longer responsive. He continued to bite me until my vision blurred; suddenly, I felt fluish. Finally, he released me. He cut my bonds, and I fell to the ground, completely limp. "I've poisoned you," he murmured sweetly into my ear, "with a bit of my aura. Do you know what that means?" I said nothing. Still, he continued as if I had shaken my head, no, "It means that I can touch your aura now." He removed the antisutras and touched my face to demonstrate so. _

_Still, I could not tell the difference anymore. I was barely conscious, looking through him with faint half-lidded eyes. Kidoumaru full-out laughed. "Oh, you're such a good boy. Now, my little toy, it's time for the __**real**__fun to begin."_

My eyes snapped open. I nearly jumped out of bed, panting heavily. I weakly clutched at my chest as if to soothe my racing heart.

Taking a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself, I took in my surroundings. It was dark out, and the room was empty. Lee was no longer here. I smelled something cooking from the kitchen. Lee was starting dinner. I checked the clock: 6:45. Hinata would be returning from evening practice soon. Naruto and Hanabi were probably already home. I sighed, recalling the reason why I had awoken so frazzled. Shikamaru. He needed help. I smiled gently, climbing out of bed. I knew what I had to do. Shikamaru would do the same for me after all. Quickly, I rummaged through my desk for a pen and paper. Once finding them, I swiftly wrote a note to my favorite black-haired boy:

_Lee,_

_I'm going to get someone. I'll only be gone a bit (I'll be home in time for dinner). Don't worry about me; I'm not doing anything dangerous. Still, expect one more for dinner tonight. I'll be home soon._

_Love,  
Neji_

Satisfied with my not, I placed on my pillow, where I knew that Lee would find it. I exited using the window to avoid a confrontation with Lee (knowing him, there was no way that he would ever conceive of letting me out since I had practically passed out for several hours).

Once outside, I headed to the park near the school, sensing that the one that I sought was there.

_Kidoumaru began to strip me, kissing and fondling every bit of skin that he could get his many hands on._

"_Tell me, Hyuuga-chan," he purred out into my ear while licking the rim. "Should I take your power first, or your virginity?" I did not respond, simply gazed up at him with glazed-over, emotionless eyes. He chuckled. "Maybe I should take both at the same time." Then, his eyes widened in bliss as a truly horrible idea came to him. He cackled. "You know, I've heard that when a Hyuuga's power is taken from them, it's the most agonizing experience they'll ever have." He looked into my blank eyes. "I do love to see a pretty little boy like you in pain." He sneered as I felt the hands of his demonic aura coil around my power, ready to rip it, tear it from its natural place. "Now, Hyuuga-chan, __**scream for me**__."_

_And I did. It was the most agonizing torture I'd ever experienced in my life. Pure physical anguish. Unimaginable pain that threatened to cause my sanity to crumble. I didn't just scream, I shrieked; I cried. Tears streamed down my face. My sobs came out so forcefully that I choked. His demonic hands delved deeper and deeper, probing, coveting my power, leaving nothing untouched. I screamed until my voice was raw, throat burning, but it just never ended. My vision began to fade as I lost myself in a sea of agony. I was disintegrating, burning away, dying. _

_Then, out of nowhere, came his voice. __**"Get your filthy hands off him, you monster!!"**__ I was dropped, my body falling limp to the ground. My breath came out in sharp pants, as the pain only seemed to worsen. I cried out again and again, clutching at my chest. My vision went white, eyes widening. _

_I shrieked, so did Kidoumaru. My power was overwhelming the both of us. He was the first to go, my power scorching him from the inside out. His innards fried, his skin burnt to a crisp. I screamed, feeling something similar beginning in me. But then, just as my blood began to boil, I felt him grab me and pull me into his lap. He clutched my body to him. "Oh, Neji-san! Please do not die! Poor thing, you are burning up! Please, Neji-san! Neji-san!!" He rocked me back and forth, back and forth, soothing my overheated flesh with his cool hands. It all went to Hell. His name was all that I thought of before my world became nothing but a storm of agony and fire. _

When I finally got to the park, the sun was setting. Though I was not wearing a coat, the mid-winter chill barely fazed me.

And there was Shikamaru. He sat on a swing of the small playground, lazily swinging forwards and backwards. It was empty. The park was empty. He was empty. He stared into nothing, his auburn eyes distressed, while the rest of his face remained perfectly calm. After a moment, I took a seat on the swing next to him. He did not look up.

We said nothing at first. Finally, he spoke. "I never thought I'd be seeing you here," he managed, barely above a whisper. I chuckled dryly.

"Were you expecting someone else?" He paused, deep in thought. He looked ready to cry. I'd never seen him so melancholy before.

He swallowed before murmuring, "Yes." I nodded slightly.

"Who?" This time, his deep russet brown eyes met mine. He did not blink, nor did he look away.

"I don't know," he said simply, his tone held not room for argument. I had to laugh at that. Confused at my laughter, he raised an eyebrow.

"It's nothing," I chuckled. "I was just thinking that there's only one other person who could possibly be so sure of his own ignorance, and that's Socrates." He seemed shocked at my comment at first, but then, he just shook his head.

"You're one of a kind, Neji." We were silent for a while afterwards, though the tension had lifted a bit. I took this time to look him over. He wore a coat and had his backpack with him, meaning that he had _planned_ on going to school. Something must have really bothered him to keep him side-tracked all day. Still, the oddest part about him today was his hair. It was down, instead of in his trademark ponytail. I had never seen him wear it down before. He must have really been in a rush that morning to have had forgotten something like that.

"I've never seen your hair down before," I murmured, echoing my own thoughts. "It looks nice." His eyes widened as he felt the top of his head for his familiar ponytail, finding nothing.

"That little sneak," he growled. "He sent me out without it on purpose!"

I grinned, knowing exactly who he was talking about. "Gaara would do that." I nodded, agreeing with myself.

Again we were silent. All that we could hear was the wind as it whistled past us, rustling through the leafless trees that Konoha was so known for in the winter.

"I take it you still haven't told him," I murmured. He briefly glanced at me before turning back to the ground with morose eyes.

"No," he responded calmly. Still, he fidgeted, betraying his true anxiety.

"He wouldn't think any different of you, Shikamaru," I continued. "So, you're an empath. So, you can feel his emotions. It's not the weirdest thing out there. Trust me; I know. You're perfectly normal, Shikamaru. You just have a gift." Shikamaru scoffed shaking his head.

"That's not why I won't tell him, Neji," he explained softly. "It's more complicated than that." I raised an eyebrow, urging him to elaborate further. "Neji, being an empath has two parts: one is feeling the emotions of others, but the other is transference."

"Transference?" I may know plenty about the supernatural (being an onmyoji of the Hyuuga Shrine does that to people), but I'm no expert on empaths. There's still plenty for me to learn.

"Gaara always tells me that he feels more calm with me than with anyone else. Well, that's because he _is_. I don't just feel other people's emotions, Neji; I take them. I'm practically a mood-stabilizer for him. I unconsciously drain his emotions and make his manic and depressive states less extreme." I had to let that sink in for a moment before understanding.

"He's bipolar," I stated slowly, surely. "Shikamaru, he's _bipolar_! You're perfect for him. That proves it. Why would that stop you from telling him?" Shikamaru buried his face in his hands.

"No, if I told him the truth, he would know that any empath on Earth could do the same thing for him. I'm just being selfish. It's just…I don't want him with just any empath!" he burst out finally. "I want him with me!" I stared at him disbelievingly, surprised at his outburst.

"You really care for him, don't you?" I concluded. He just nodded. "You know, Shikamaru, I don't say this often, but I think you're wrong." He gazed at me, slightly wide-eyed. "Shikamaru, you're different than any other empath on Earth; do you know why?" He shook his head. "No one but you would be able to take his emotions, feel them, and show none of it on the outside. You're the calmest empath I've ever met, and that's just because you're Shikamaru. That's why you, no other empaths, are just what the doctor ordered for Gaara." He appeared to mull this over for a while. Still, something about this seemed off. Shikamaru, as I've noticed over many months, acted differently around Gaara. He worried about Gaara more than anyone else, and Shikamaru was not by nature a worrier. He rarely wasted the energy on such a thing, but with Gaara, it was different; he practically fussed over him, but still had a way of remaining calm as a way of comforting the other. It was an odd relationship indeed.

Another question came to mind as I considered all of this. "Tell me, Shikamaru," I began. He looked up to show that he was listening. "Did you tell Temari that you're an empath?" He nodded without a second thought.

"Of course."

"Well, what about Choji and Ino? Did you tell them too?" He seemed a bit annoyed at this point but nodded nonetheless. "Does anyone else know?" He sighed.

"Just you and Sasori, but both of you figured it out on your own." He paused. "Neji, please tell me there was a point to that." I shrugged.

"Well, it just made me wonder why you're so concerned about Gaara knowing. You told your two oldest friends and girlfriend without much deliberation, so what makes Gaara so different?" There was a pregnant silence.

"I…don't know," he murmured, frowning.

"Well, what do you know?" He let out another sigh as his auburn eyes slipped shut.

"I love him," he uttered softly. "That's all I'm sure of: I love him in the broadest sense of the term."

"Is it anything like your love for Choji and Ino?" He stared at me as if I had grown a second head.

"Not at all."

"Okay then, what about Temari? Is what you have with Gaara anything like what you have with her?" He grimaced, deep in thought, before running a hand through his thick black locks.

"I…I…I don't know! Dammit. I mean, it's similar but at the same time, it's completely different." He looked up at the overcast sky. When I looked into his eyes, I saw the eyes of a man lost with nowhere to go. "Maybe," he began again, softer this time, "maybe it's because _they're_ similar and different at the same time." I nodded, encouraging him to continue. "When I first met Temari, the first things about her I noticed were the traits she shared with Gaara: their eyes, the way they carried themselves, little things like that. That's what first intrigued me about her, but as I got to know her, she became her own person in my mind. They're two different people, but, in a way, they're both mine," he swallowed, "and I like it that way.

"Then maybe, you should let it be. If you like things the way they are, then leave them that way. If something changes, then change with it." He rubbed his temples with a sigh.

"I guess you're right." I gave him a soft smile.

"Do you feel any better?"

"A bit." With that, I stood, offered my hand, and helped him up.

"Let's get going then; I told Lee you're coming to dinner, so you'd better come." He just sighed again, shaking his head. We began to walk; it definitely felt good to have my blood pumping through me again (as it was freezing and I hadn't a coat).

"Neji, I was wondering how you knew where I was." I grinned.

"Call it a feeling," I began simply. "I just knew is all." For the first time since I saw him that day, Shikamaru smiled. We headed back to the shrine.

_I was sweating buckets, the heat from my power surge frying my insides completely. I felt like I was on fire, my blood boiling, flesh singeing and burning away, bones and organs melting. My vision was black, whether it was because my eyes had closed or just fallen out, I really could not say for sure. I was no longer screaming (I had long since lost my voice), just panting heavily as if my lungs were slowly being filled with water. I wanted to clutch at my chest, but my body was practically paralyzed. _

_Even through all this torture, there was some comfort. Something was holding me, stroking my soft brown hair, whispering sweet nothings in my ear. Who was this? Why did they have such an effect on me? They almost seemed to numb the pain if only for a moment. I fainted again._

_When I awoke, my body was shaking like mad, and I felt about ready to vomit, but the pain was gone, disappeared, leaving only a lingering weakness in its wake. My entire body felt like dead weight. I let my eyes flutter open. I saw nothing corporeal at first. It was too blurry, too dim, but when my vision finally cleared, I saw a figure. He was leaning over me with a worried look. It was Rock Lee, Tenten's friend._

_I was lying in his arms. I felt far too tired to be embarrassed, but still, I tried to get up. Without much effort, he pushed me back down; either he was very strong, or I was weaker than I thought (perhaps it was both). "Neji-san, you should not try to move yet," he claimed sternly. He gently placed a hand on my forehead, before sighing in relief. "Yes, your fever has gone down some. Thank goodness, I did not think that you would make it for a while there."_

_I blinked, leaning on his shoulder. "What…happened?" I managed, my voice hoarse. He smiled gently. _

"_The spider-demon…he tried to take your power…I think. I am not really sure actually. But, whatever happened, it destroyed him in the end. It almost destroyed you too. You were running such a high fever. It was so bad that…well, I could not even move you. However, by dawn, you began to get better, and now it is mid-morning. You made it through the solstice, Neji-san." That gentle, sympathetic smile never left his face. He seemed incredibly relieved that I was relatively intact. I vaguely wondered why._

"_Didn't the other demons attack while I was unconscious?" He just nodded. _

"_Yes, but they disintegrated when they tried to get close to you."_

"_Barrier," I murmured cryptically. He did not ask. We were silent for a time afterwards. I couldn't tell if the silence was comfortable or awkward. All that I was certain of was that the morning was nice. I felt dizzy, weak, and embarrassed, but at least the morning was bright and pleasant. _

"_Neji-san, why did you leave Hinata-san, Naruto-kun, Tenten-chan, and me? We could have helped protect you. When you left, we were all so worried!"_

_I sighed, not particularly wanting to answer. Even so, I did. "The demons were only after me. I didn't want any of you to get hurt because of me." He gave me a look that clearly said that he thought that I was crazy for thinking such a thing. _

"_Baka," he said, shaking his head. "Baka, baka, baka. Never do that again, Neji-san." He didn't seem like the type to normally insult others or give them orders. I wondered if I was just special. _

"_Call me something else," I retaliated, having nothing else to say to his comment. "I don't like 'Neji-san;' it's too formal." I was surprised when he chuckled, flashing me a brilliant smile. _

"_Neji-kun it is then, but you also have to call me 'Lee'." I sighed. Lee was certainly something else._

"_Lee?"_

"_Yes, Neji-kun?"_

"_I'm tired." I'm usually no complainer, but somehow, with him, it was different. I usually let everyone lean on me; I was everyone's pillar. The one person that everyone could count on no matter what. But, with him, everything just seemed simpler. Leaning on him just felt so natural, so right. And it worried me. _

_He chuckled pulling me against him so that my head rested against my shoulder. "It is okay, Neji-kun; you should get some more sleep." "It's okay." Why did that sound so wonderful? It was if he was accepting my weakness for what it was. How did he do that? I felt my eyes slip shut. _

"_Thank you," I whispered before falling into sweet oblivion. Had I been awake for just a moment longer, I would have heard as he murmured, "You are so cute, Neji-kun."_

I knocked on the door to my house (I had forgotten the keys in my haste). Within moments, it opened, and I was bowled over as someone nearly tackled me with a powerful hug.

"Neji-koi! I was so worried!" I smiled gently, leaning into Lee.

"Sorry, love, I was just grabbing our guest for dinner." Lee blinked, looking up from the embrace only to see Shikamaru standing beside us awkwardly.

"Oh! Shikamaru-kun! Please, come in. We were just sitting down for dinner. Why do you not meet us inside?" I raised an eyebrow; it wasn't like Lee to leave a guest to do more or less take care of themselves (not that Shikamaru would mind). But, as soon as Shikamaru left the area, I understood, as Lee pushed me against the wall, crashing his lips against mine in a forceful kiss.

Then, Lee did something that he had never done before: he let his tongue slide into my mouth, probing, gently coaxing my tongue to move against his. At first, my eyes widened, but before long, I gave into the pleasure, melting into the kiss. As our tongues danced, lightly gliding over and under each other, he pulled me tightly against him. His hands cupped my face to give himself more leverage as he delved deeper into my mouth. I found my hands almost automatically moving into his hair, gripping the silky black locks.

Meanwhile, in my mind, there was conflict. Part of me loved this, and felt that I owed it to Lee to give him pleasure. It felt so good, so warm, so perfect. It was unity, wholeness. As Aristophanes describes, I had found my other half. Still, another part of my mind warned me against this. It said that the consequences would outweigh the benefits. It told me that I needed to wait. That I would regret this in the end. But somehow, when Lee's hands buried themselves in my hair, gently stroking my neck and scalp, I let my mind go blank. I let myself just feel. The pleasure that overwhelmed and excited my nerves, the affectionate touches and ministrations of Lee's hands, the bliss that every one of his moans seemed to bring out in me. The harmony of two puzzle pieces fitting together perfectly, down to the atoms.

Finally, we pulled apart. My knees were weak, ready to give out on me at any time. It felt as though the only things keeping me up were his arms, now wrapped tightly around my waist. He looked into my half-lidded dazed eyes, gaze lingering on my swollen lips and flushed cheeks. I had to look up at him. When had he gotten so much taller than me?

"Neji, you are…" he paused, breathless, "beautiful." I sighed longingly, leaning against his chest.

"You too," I murmured.

"We should get inside." I nodded absentmindedly. My brain had officially gone on vacation. I tripped over my own feet as soon as I took my first step forward. Lee chuckled. He beamed, grabbing my hand, and led me into the kitchen.

Sitting at the kitchen table were Hinata, Hanabi, Naruto, and Shikamaru, all seated and ready for dinner.

"What took you guys so long?!" Naruto cried, obviously starving. Then, he seemed to notice my "condition." "Neji? Are you okay?" I didn't respond, still completely out-of-it. Shikamaru shook his head, disbelievingly.

"Geez, Lee, what'd you do to him?" Lee grinned sheepishly.

"He will be all right; just give him a minute." He sat me down before taking the seat next to me. With a collective "Itadakimasu," we began to eat.

After a few minutes, I came back to Earth, smiling at Hinata and Hanabi.

"So, Nii-san," began Hinata, "what exactly happened today?" It was interesting. Hinata never seemed to stutter around me. Lee always thought that I had a calming affect around people. Maybe I was an empath too.

"Well," I began, deciding to simplify things as much as possible, "I was tired and fell asleep during lunch, and Lee took me home." She seemed oddly happy at that.

"Good," she whispered. "Nii-san works too hard." I shook my head, gently tousling her long violet hair.

"Don't worry about me, Hinata. Focus more on yourself." I thought I noticed her smile falter at my comment, but before I could ask her about it, Hanabi cut in.

"But why is Shikamaru-nii-san here?" This was not entirely my story to tell. I glanced at Shikamaru who nodded.

"I was feeling sick; Neji sensed that and came to pick me up." The group seemed satisfied with that explanation (or knew enough not to pry). We began some small talk amongst ourselves. Lee asked Hinata about swim practice.

"Oh…it was nice. Coach went easy on us today…we only did two hundred yards of each swim, some drill work, one of the easier sets, some kicking, some starts, and then some underwaters for a warmdown…"

"Yeah," replied Naruto in awe, "_only_." Shikamaru asked me what we were doing in our classes (the small talk was forced, but still, he tried). Ever since he had been pushed up a grade (which never would have happened if not for Asuma-sensei), Shikamaru and I have shared most of our classes. I told him that for anyone else, it would be an arduous task to catch up, but since he was Shikamaru, he would have no trouble.

Naruto asked about Gaara, to which Shikamaru frowned, explaining that the redhead was still very ill. This greatly disheartened the blonde.

I asked about Hanabi's day, and she told me about it animately, speaking of her daily shrine-related duties, her day at school (many stories involving, "that idiot Konohamaru"), and the evil spirit on the baseball field that she purified with ease. I just smiled, nodding and laughing in the right places.

As quickly as it had begun, dinner was over, and Shikamaru stood explaining that he should be getting home. I smiled, standing as well. "At least let me walk you home," I suggested. He did not object. Both of us grabbed our coats and shoes, and we were off.

"_Neji-kun? Neji-kun? Please wake up." I groaned, snuggling deeper into the warmth that seemed to surround me. "Neji-kun, you must wake up. As much as I enjoy your sleeping in my lap, we have to find Hinata-san, Naruto-kun, and Tenten-chan." I blinked my eyes open only to find Lee gazing down at me with warm eyes. I still felt rather dazed, and seeming to notice that, he placed a hand on my forehead again. "Yes, you still have a bit of a fever. Do you think that you can stand?" Not wanting to look weak, I nodded and got to my feet. He did as well. _

_However, almost immediately, my legs gave out on me. I fell back into his arms, but instead of becoming annoyed at my weakness, he gave me a sympathetic smile. "They really did a number on you, did they not?" I blushed, refusing to meet his eyes. "I think that I might have to carry you."_

"_No!" I shouted in absolute horror. _

"_Do not be so stubborn, Neji-kun!" he cried. "You are hurt! And…" he trailed off before beginning again, softer this time, "Please, Neji-kun, you have already done too much. Let me take care of you." I was beet red at this point. _

"_I don't want to be taken care of!" That was a complete and utter lie. I wanted more than anything to be taken care of. No one had truly done so since my father died. Having someone unconditionally help and support me sounded wonderful, but I would never admit it._

_At first, Lee frowned, but then he seemed to get an idea. He flashed me a impish smile before leaning down and gently kissing my forehead. My eyes widened as I blushed furiously. I stuttered, mind going completely blank, and by the time I had reoriented myself, he was already carrying me. He chuckled softly. "You are the cutest, Neji-kun."_

_I sighed, finding myself leaning into him. I thought about how much he had done for me in the past day. He was so warm, so kind, too good to be true. I sighed again. I was going to have to repay him, but how? Well, first thing's first, I had to thank him. _

"Here we are," murmured Shikamaru as we stood in front of the Akasuna-Sabaku residence. I nodded. We approached the door; he took out his keys and began to unlock it. However, he had barely put his keys in the lock before the door opened suddenly, revealing a distressed Temari. She gasped, throwing himself onto him.

"Shikamaru!" she cried. "Thank God!" Shikamaru looked just about as confused as I was, and that's saying something.

"Temari," he began sternly, "tell me what's going on." She backed away, nodding. She took a deep breath, her bright teal eyes meeting his deep auburn ones.

"Gaara's missing," she managed.

That was it for Shikamaru. He did not wait around for another second before running off, looking for Gaara. Temari and I gazed at each other, and it was obvious that we both agreed on one thing: we had never before seen Shikamaru act so rashly. The Nara cared for Gaara all right.

More than even _he_ could possibly imagine.

***God, that took a ridiculous amount of time to type out! I wonder why. Well, there you have it. You've got some idea of possibly what happened a bit with Neji and Lee. Though not really. Yeah. Anyway, I'm exhausted, it's 5:05am, and I should go to bed, but I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter! I'll see you next time! And, remember…the Bard is always with you! What does that have to do with anything? I have no idea. Make of that what you will. Peace out and lots of love from Kaiser!**


	9. Friend is a Four Letter Word

***I'M ALIVE! God it's been awhile! Over 6 months I'd say! Well, in this chapter, it's revealed that Sasuke and Shikamaru have a history! Yeah, what you're about to read is a product of me watching Naruto the Abridged Series, and realizing that Sasuke and Shikamaru sat next to each other in their academy days! I definitely have to incorporate that into a oneshot, man. Anyway, there are several "Friend is a Four Letter Word" chapters throughout the Neighborhood series. This is the first. The song really embodies Gaara and Shikamaru's situation. Anyway, sorry so much for the delay! I hope the chapter is awesome enough to make up for it! **

**P.S.**

**SHAMELESS PLUG TIME! If you enjoy ShikaGaa, because you're awesome enough to join the club (the club that exists only in my mind), totally check out Roving Otter and his/her (don't know, not making assumptions) fics! "Being Uzumaki Naruto" is one of my favorite stories ever! Yeah…go do that. **

**Notes: "Bakemono" is a Japanese word that the little kids in **_**Naruto**_** use in reference to Naruto and Gaara. I thought it worked well with what I used it for. Wikipedia it for more info.**

**Disclaimer: ****This can be no trick: the/ conference was sadly borne. They have the truth of/ this from Hero. They seem to pity the lady: it/ seems her affections have their full bent. Love me!/ why, it must be requited. I hear how I am censured:/ they say I will bear myself proudly, if I perceive/ the love come from her; they say too that she will/ rather die than give any sign of affection. I did/ never think to marry: I must not seem proud: happy/ are they that hear their detractions and can put/ them to mending. They say the lady is fair; 'tis a/ truth, I can bear them witness; and virtuous; 'tis/ so, I cannot reprove it; and wise, but for loving/ me; by my troth, it is no addition to her wit, nor/ no great argument of her folly, for I will be/ horribly in/ love with her. I may chance have some/ odd quirks and remnants of wit broken on me,/ because I have railed so long against marriage: but/ doth not the appetite alter? a man loves the meat/ in his youth that he cannot endure in his age./ Shall quips and sentences and these paper bullets of/ the brain awe a man from the career of his humour?/ No, the world must be peopled. When I said I would/ die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I/ were married. Here comes Beatrice. By this day!/ she's a fair lady: I do spy some marks of love in her.**

**-Benedick (**_**Much Ado About Nothing**_** 2.3, I wrote a modern adaption of this play. It was pretty cool…****P.S. I don't own anything that I happen to mention in my story…especially Naruto).**

**Particularly Appropriate Music: Friend is a Four Letter Word- Cake, A Lack of Color- Death Cab for Cutie, Polly- Nirvana, , All Dreamed Out- Blinker the Star, My Friends- Red Hot Chili Peppers, Creation Lake- Silversun Pickups, To Forgive- Smashing Pumpkins, Battle Hymn of the Republic- The Most Serene Republic, Sherry and Her Butterfly Net- The Most Serene Republic, Yesterday- The Beatles, and The Sixth Station- Joe Hisaishi (this song IS this chapter).**

**Chapter 5: Friend is a Four Letter Word**

Gaara felt like his world was coming apart, chipping away bit by agonizing bit. For the first time in years, he got sick. No, not just sick, it was no normal illness; he had never been this ill in his life. That alone was driving him mad with anxiety, but then Sasuke came along, and the raven-haired teen found a way to make Gaara even more confused and scared. He had claimed that the redhead was in love with Shikamaru, _his best friend_. How could such a thing be? He was not in love with the genius! It just was not possible.

And yet…

Why was it that whenever Shikamaru smiled that warm smile at him, or held him close, or tousled his hair, he felt as though his insides were fluttering away, like he was going to be sick, and at the same time, he yearned for more. He could not get enough of Shikamaru's warmth, of his touch, his smile, his smell, his everything. Shikamaru was able to bring out so many emotions that Gaara never even knew he had. Gaara never cried when he was in his right mind, but just by getting even the least bit angry, the Nara could have him sobbing his eyes out. Just as well, Gaara was an insomniac, but just by being near, Shikamaru could get him to sleep like a baby.

And why did Gaara feel a little bit of himself die whenever he saw Shikamaru and Temari lately? Why?

Then, Sasuke had begun to kiss him. And still, Gaara could think of nothing but Shikamaru. Sasuke's tongue slipped into his mouth, probing, gently coaxing Gaara's to join it. Even so, Gaara could not help but wish that it was Shikamaru that he was doing this with, that it was Shikamaru's tongue, that his hands were entangling themselves in Shikamaru's hair.

Sasuke and Gaara pulled apart, both breathing heavily. Sasuke was smiling. "You're a pretty good kisser," he murmured. Gaara did not know what to say. Yes, the kiss had felt good, but his mind was too confused, too panicked to truly appreciate it. Sasuke placed a hand on his cheek, preparing to pull him in for another kiss, but stopped short.

"Gaara, you're crying." The redhead absentmindedly felt his cheek only to find the wetness that Sasuke spoke of. Oh, how easily Shikamaru could make him cry. "Why are you—" Gaara let his head fall onto the Uchiha's shoulder and continued to cry his empty tears. Sasuke merely smiled sadly, lightly wrapping his arms around the redhead.

"Sasuke-kun…" he managed softly. The raven-haired boy just nodded.

"I know how it is…believe me, I do."

For a while, Sasuke just let Gaara cry on his shoulder. Neither said a word because words were no longer necessary. At that moment, no one understood Gaara quite like Sasuke, and vice versa. Sasuke was right; for those precious moments, they were each other's comfort. Sasuke could find Sakura in Gaara, and Gaara could find Shikamaru in Sasuke. Some people might have thought it wrong, that the two were merely being cowards, pretending, avoiding what they really wanted because they were scared. However, at that moment, for Sasuke and Gaara, nothing felt more right.

When the redhead had no more tears to cry, he looked up from his place against Sasuke's shoulder. Soft aqua eyes met their cool obsidian counterparts, and before either boy knew what was happening, they were kissing again. They fell onto the bed, tongues tied together. They were no longer thinking, just running off of emotion, living for each other's taste, for that glorious feeling of being intertwined, united.

When they finally broke apart, they just lay together on Sasuke's bed for what felt like hours.

"Gaara," Sasuke called after a few moments. The redhead nodded listlessly. "I don't want this to be the extent of our relationship…" Gaara frowned, confused.

"What do you mean, Sasuke-kun?"

"Making out when we can't take the pain anymore…no, we can't just leave it like that. It wouldn't be good for either of us," Gaara still was not entirely sure what Sasuke was getting at.

"What're you saying?"

"I'm saying I want to take you out on a date." He finished with that devilish smile of his. Iridescent, blue-green eyes widened. Gaara had no idea how to respond. Somehow that very suggestion hit a sore spot. His mind seemed to retreat farther and farther from the subject. Then, it all hit him at once: Shikamaru, love, Sasuke, rejections, relationships, lips, tongues, and teeth, and pain. Gaara felt as though his head was going to explode. It was too much, and he did not know what to make of any of it. Gaara did not even say goodbye to Sasuke before he ran off, tears stinging his eyes.

Sasuke called after him, but decided that the redhead needed some time alone. Perhaps he would just have to wait for a response.

Gaara ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He needed to get away, far, far away. He needed to…he did not even know what he needed. He ran for miles around Konoha, going in circles half of the time, chest heaving, sweat dripping down his face and neck. He ran until long after the sun set trying to clear his head to no avail. His mind was a blur of Shikamaru and Sasuke, love and hopelessness. Nothing was making sense.

Finally, he could run no more, and he collapsed onto a park bench, panting heavily. Once his breath had calmed, he tipped his head back, staring soberly up at the winter's night sky. Fluffy purple clouds roamed the heavens, taunting him.

_Shikamaru would love these—No! don't think of him! Stop it! Stop it, Gaara, you idiot!_

More tears fell from empty turquoise eyes. He could not seem to stop. Why was this affecting him so badly? What was the big deal?

Everything.

Everything was bearing down on him, everything from the clouds to that kiss to the cold, horrible night. It was all making it that much worse.

He burst into tears. He could not take this any more. He needed some kind of release or else he was prone to do something stupid and self-injurious. He just—

"Baka," an oh-too-familiar voice growled out. Gaara's eyes widened. He looked up, dreading the identity of the person before him. He was not disappointed.

It was Shikamaru, and he was _angry_.

"I can't believe you'd—! I was worried sick, you—!" he cut off, obviously too cross to speak. "Ugh! You troublesome idiot!" He grabbed Gaara's hand. "Come on, we're going home!"

The next thing Gaara knew, he was being dragged across Konoha back to his house. Neither Gaara nor Shikamaru said another word. Still, the Nara briefly glanced behind him; his eyes widened as Gaara's face glittered with tears under the light of the lampposts.

Shikamaru stopped; they were only a block away from the house. He looked back to the teary-eyed redhead and found his anger melting away like ice. He sighed.

"Don't worry about your family," he murmured, knowing that disappointing and angering his siblings was a deep-seated fear of Gaara's (it made him feel unwanted and useless). The redhead nodded listlessly. "I'll take care of it." Shikamaru began to walk again, pulling Gaara along. The latter no longer had the will to make decisions; he was happy to let Shikamaru take the reins on this.

Shikamaru led him back to the house; however, instead of using the front door, he climbed up the side of the house and opened Gaara's window, helping the redhead to follow. Once he had settled the redhead, he murmured, "Hang on; I'll be right back. I just gotta tell Temari we're back and you're okay."

Moments turned into minutes, but Gaara did not care. He had reached the eye of the emotional storm: completely calm at first glance, but move too far in any direction and the full force of the tempest returns.

The redhead had not realized that Shikamaru was back until he took a seat beside Gaara. The latter refused to look up, and for while, neither said a word.

"Are you mad at me?" Gaara whispered, finally finding the will to speak.

Shikamaru gazed at him calmly, before shaking his head, "No," he murmured. Gaara still seemed skeptical. "Well I _was_, but then I saw the look on your face. I can't stay mad at you when you've been crying. Same with Temari. You two are my only weaknesses."

Gaara could not find the strength to laugh.

"So," continued the genius, "tell me what happened."

Gaara thought about the best way to phrase, "Went downstairs to get a glass of water, my memory's shot after that, woke up at Sasuke's house, we kissed, he asked me on a date, and I ran."

"I was at Sasuke-kun's," he explained reluctantly, grimacing at the murderous look on Shikamaru's face.

"I should've know as much, " growled out Shikamaru. "_That bastard son of a bitch_. What'd he say to you?" Sometimes, Shikamaru would break his creed when he was enraged, especially when Sasuke was involved. "He made you cry, _didn't he_? I'll _kill _him. _What'd he say to you, Gaara_?" The Nara snarled out. Gaara was close to tears again. He hated when Shikamaru was angry, that icy hatred that was the complete opposite from his normal warm, calming demeanor. That look in his eyes, so much like _him_, Gaara's father. Seeing that look on Shikamaru was too much, far too much. "_What did he tell you?_" The Nara shouted, gripping the redhead's shoulders.

Unable to stop himself, Gaara let one tear fall, and then another, and another. Soon enough, he was bawling uncontrollably. He could not take anymore! Too much! Everything was crushing him. Sasuke, Shikamaru, illness, love hate, childhood, everything at once, and Gaara was ready to explode.

The ice in Shikamaru's aura melted as soon as he felt even the tiniest fraction of Gaara's emotional tornado. He was on the verge of a breakdown. "Oh God…" He loosened his grip on Gaara's shoulders. "I need to take some of this from him," he muttered to himself. "_Right now_, or else he'll lose it."

"Gaara," he called louder, "look at me."

_There are two simple methods that increase an empaths range and ability:_

"Look at me," he repeated. "Gaara!" Gaara's eyes reluctantly met frantic auburn ones.

_eye contact,_

Immediately, their connection strengthened. Shikamaru could feel so much from Gaara it was scary. Still, the transference process was not being induced fast enough. Shikamaru grabbed Gaara and pulled him into his lap, holding him so very tightly.

_and physical contact._

Then, Shikamaru could feel it all. Gaara's emotions drained into him. The Nara welcomed them; because the more he felt meant the less Gaara was feeling. He could feel the redhead beginning to relax and smiled through the pain of the unwanted emotional baggage. "That's it," he soothed. "Shhh, everything's gonna be okay. I'm right here; I'm not going anywhere. Shhhh…"

He shifted into a more comfortable position against the headboard, Gaara still in his arms. Gaara weakly met his eyes, looking nothing but exhausted. Shikamaru could not help but to smile softly, warmly; Gaara's heart skipped a beat, and consequently, so did Shikamaru's. _"What was that for, Gaara?"_ he thought warily. Absentmindedly, the Nara's hand made its way to Gaara's head, gently stroking his hair. The redhead leaned into the touch.

_After the transference occurs, the best way for the "giver" to cope with the emotional absence is to sleep._

Shikamaru shifted again so that the redhead was curled up against him instead of on top of him. He pulled the blanket over Gaara.

"Get some sleep," he whispered, patting his head. "Trust me, it'll help." Gaara did not comply, his gaze melancholy. Shikamaru cupped the redhead's cheek in his hand. Their eyes met. "Trust me," he echoed, barely above a whisper, and within a few minutes, Shikamaru had a fast-asleep redhead curled up in his arms. The genius held him close, making sure that any semblance of negative emotion was quickly drained, and the more he did this, the more Gaara seemed to relax into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Shikamaru was beginning to get a headache. He always seemed to become ill when he overused his powers. There was a period of time, when Yoshino was at her worst, in which Shikamaru would drain his mother nearly everyday. It was painful as Hell, but Shikamaru had not minded because those were the few moments that he was able to truly see his mother relax. It had been worth the pain.

And Shikamaru was certain that he was feeling something similar now, if not more satisfying.

Before he knew it, the Nara was asleep too.

_Shikamaru felt weak. His whole body was far too heavy. He could barely find the strength to twitch a finger, open his eyes. He forced them open, only to realize that something…was not right. Everything was weird…he was seeing the world differently, with different clarity, different details, as if he was literally seeing through someone else's eyes. _

_He was in an unfamiliar, rocky desert, but somehow, he knew exactly where he was. Shikamaru was home. He knew every rock, every dune, every cliff, every animal, everything. Nothing could surprise him here. He was in his element. This, the desert wind, the sun, the sand, this was his true family._

_Shikamaru smiled, breathing in the fresh, although dry, air._

_Then, he stopped dead._

_The wind had stopped blowing. Something was wrong, very, very wrong. He could feel it in his bones. Every cell in his body was crying out, warning him. But what? What was the desert trying to tell him?_

_The sky was bleeding red. The clouds were pitch black. The black hole of a sun moved extraordinarily fast across the sky, elongating and warping the shadows, making them grotesque phantoms of the objects they once reflected perfectly. Shikamaru's breath quickened. This was wrong, all wrong. Where did his home go?_

_The genius quickly looked up; he had thought he heard chuckling over the zephyr. He ran after the source of the noise. His ears led him up, above the rocks and sand, through a rough trail, to the very top of a plateau. The chuckling ceased._

_As Shikamaru lifted himself onto the summit, all grew quiet, so very quiet. He stared ahead into the moving sun, only to see a silhouette at the edge of the cliff. Shikamaru stepped closer, slowly approaching it. Perhaps this person could explain the strangeness of the desert. However, the closer that Shikamaru got, the more detailed the silhouette became. Soon, it was very clear who the owner of the silhouette was. Even though the person's back was turned, Shikamaru could see thick, longish, ebony hair, free from its usual pony-tail, a confident stance, a tall, firm stature, even the clothes looked oh-too-familiar. _

_Yes, Shikamaru was gazing at himself._

_His eyes widened. What the hell was going on? He had to be hallucinating! Shikamaru gazed down at his own body, except it was not __**his**__ body. Instead of his usual form, he saw pale skin, bright red hair, a small, skinny body, covered by black clothes. It couldn't be…_

_Gaara._

_So, Shikamaru was watching himself; except, Shikamaru was not really Shikamaru, he was Gaara._

_This was too weird._

_Suddenly, his legs were moving by themselves. "Shikamaru," Gaara's voice called softly, his mouth moving without his consent._

"_Shikamaru" continued to look off into the distance._

"_Shikamaru, please," his mouth admonished. _

_Then, the other Shikamaru turned. Cold auburn eyes scrutinized the Gaara look-alike. He was not swayed by the other. He strode over to "Gaara" until he was standing only inches away, towering over the redhead's small form. Without warning, the "fake" Shikamaru hugged his real counterpart. He held him close, but the real Shikamaru could feel no love in this embrace. It was not warm like the hugs that he usually gave Gaara. On the contrary, it was chilling, eerie, almost frighteningly so._

_Then came a dry chuckle. The other Shikamaru leaned over "Gaara's" shoulder, lips coming so close to his ear that he could feel every single breath. "Sasuke was right," he murmured coldly, "you are nothing to me." He shifted slightly so that they were face-to-face, and then the other Shikamaru captured "Gaara's" lips in a tauntingly loving kiss. It lasted only a few seconds before the other Shikamaru whispered, "Bye-bye."_

_Then a deep, pitch-black chasm appeared under the real Shikamaru's feet, and he was falling. Falling and falling as the darkness appeared, and he knew no more._

Shikamaru woke with a start, breathing heavily. He clutched his chest. "Shit," he hissed out. Something next to him stirred. Auburn eyes blinked blearily before looking down. The genius could not help the smile that overtook his face. Gaara was sleeping peacefully in his arms, head resting on his chest.

Then it all came back to him: Gaara's near breakdown, his empathic powers, everything. He shook his head. "You baka," he whispered fondly, "that was _your _dream, wasn't it?" Then, the true meaning of those words hit him full force. "Fuck…that was _your_ dream. Oh God…" Shikamaru's eyes softened as he stared down at the redhead's sleeping form. "You don't actually think I'd…" He sighed, holding Gaara just a little bit tighter. "Baka," he whispered, "you mean so much to me…"

The redhead shifted in his arms. Shikamaru spotted something on the bedside table. It was a note:

_Deer-boy,_

_I resisted taping you guys being all cuddly together for later blackmail use, but only because you two were so adorable curled up together. And you say I don't have a maternal instinct—_

Shikamaru smirked.

—_maternal instinct, but seriously though, I can't thank you enough for finding him. I was scared to death, but you managed it, and you still took care of him afterwards. You're a dream come true. He seemed to be sleeping rather peacefully when I stopped by; you on the other hand looked like death warmed over. I know that look: you used your powers, didn't you? Was he really that bad off? I hope you didn't mess yourself up too much, or so help me, I will make you regret it! But if you get the chance, come back to our room. I know you love him, but Kankuro says he'll trade places if you need a break (your temporary link from using your powers on him weakens with distance, right?). Gaara wouldn't want you to make yourself sick for his sake, and frankly, neither do I. So don't feel obligated to stay with him all night if you're feeling sick. No one wants that. Anyway, come to our room whenever you get this. I'll take care of you._

_XOXO,_

_Temari_

Shikamaru quickly pocketed the note. It was a good thing that he woke up before Gaara, or else he would have had some explaining to do about his powers. Temari could be impulsive sometimes. Still, the genius smiled. He would not mind spending a few hours alone with the love of his life. "Crazy woman," he mused, lightly shaking his head—

A moan.

Gaara.

Shikamaru looked down only to find dazed, sleepy teal eyes regarding him affectionately. God, he could see so much Temari behind those eyes. "Hey," he greeted softly with a warm smile.

Gaara sighed "Hey," he echoed, still half-asleep. Before the Nara could say another word, Gaara continued, "I had the strangest dream." Shikamaru nodded encouragingly. "You were a vampire…weird, right?" Shikamaru smiled sadly. It would seem Gaara's subconscious understood the matter of his powers rather well.

They grew quiet.

Shikamaru stared at the ceiling for a while. He could not stop thinking of that dream. That horrid dream. How could Gaara even think that Shikamaru felt nothing for him? Was that what had set him off? But how could that idea even cross his mind? Shikamaru was openly affectionate. At least he thought he was. No, something was off. Could Gaara be going through a depressive episode? That seemed to be the most logical explanation, unless…

"_Sasuke was right…"_

Sasuke.

That Uchiha son of a bitch.

"Gaara," he addressed sternly. "Tell me what upset you so much earlier." The genius felt a spike of fear from Gaara. He did not like this.

"It's nothing," Gaara lied.

"Gaara," he called warningly. Guilt bled through the fear. Shikamaru felt himself grow angrier and angrier with the Uchiha.

"It was Sasuke," he growled. "What did that Uchiha-bastard say to you?"

"No, it wasn't him!" the redhead cried. Shikamaru was unconvinced, and he especially did not like the way Gaara was covering for Sasuke.

"He said something about me," the Nara continued. "He told you that you mean nothing to me, didn't he?"

"No!" Gaara shouted. "No, Shikamaru…he didn't. I mean it." Shikamaru quieted. He was upsetting Gaara more than anything else. This was getting him nowhere. "Shikamaru," Gaara called gently, calmingly. The addressed managed to placate himself. He nodded. "Why do you hate Sasuke-kun so much? He can seem…inconsiderate at times, but he's really a good person." Shikamaru could not respond at first. He gazed deep into those aqua eyes. He could not lie to Gaara, not with those beautiful gem-like orbs staring up at him. He swallowed.

"…He hated me first," Shikamaru confessed. Those aqua eyes widened.

"What do you mean?" The Nara sighed.

"…I…I've never told anyone this before," he murmured. Gaara could tell that Shikamaru was nervous, in pain. The redhead had never seen him like this before. "The only people who know, were there…Just me, Ino, Choji, and Sasuke." He paused, unsure if he should continue.

Unable to help himself, Gaara placed a comforting hand on Shikamaru's shaking one. The genius gave him a gentle smile, which caused Gaara's heart to skip a beat. Shikamaru felt this, but said nothing.

"We were in grade school," Shikamaru began, not enjoying the flood of horrible memories that this brought on. "My mother didn't let me go outside much. It was after _he_ left, but before she started resenting me. I think she was afraid that if she let me go outside and play, I'd leave her too. I was 'homeschooled'—no, I wouldn't call it that. It was more like I was a captive. The only way I could go outside was if I snuck out through my window. This was before she…before she put bars on the windows to keep me from escaping…" Gaara squeezed Shikamaru's hand. He knew firsthand just how hard it was to talk about such things. He felt honored that Shikamaru would do so for his sake…It made him love the genius all the more.

"You know me; I love to watch the clouds. But, seeing them through a glass pane was never enough. I would sneak out to this playground and sit on the woodchips as I watched them go by. All the neighborhood kids were there—Naruto, Neji, and Hinata, Sakura and Ino, Choji…Apparently most kids were afraid of me." Gaara shook his head disapprovingly.

"I can't see why." Shikamaru shrugged.

"Kids are cruel. They had no reason to bother you either, but they did." The redhead seemed unconvinced.

"I guess so…"

"Well, anyway, Choji tells me the kids thought I was weird. I never played like them, and I always had an 'odd' look on my face. But, one day, Choji was lonely. He was always picked on, so he decided to try talking to me.

"At first, I didn't know how to respond…I didn't have any social skills, and I didn't understand half the things he talked about, but we got along. He introduced me to Ino, who was the only girl who would hang out with Choji. She would sit with us when Sakura wasn't there…

"But one day, they mentioned school. I'd never heard of one before. What they told me sounded…wonderful. I wanted to go so badly. I begged my mother, and eventually she caved. She signed me up, and I was put into Ebisu-sensei's class along with the others.

"Ebisu-sensei introduced me and seated me next to Sasuke," Shikamaru explained, his voice dripping with bitterness. Gaara nodded. This was sounding a bit like his own history. Even his relationship with Sasuke. When they first were seated next to each other their freshman year, they too got off on the wrong foot (though unlike with Shikamaru, Gaara and Sasuke eventually became friends). "Sasuke was always very cold to me. We were partners in a lot of lessons, since we sat next to each other, but he never talked to me more than he had to, and he _never_ got near enough to touch me. He treated me like I had leprosy or something, and I could never figure out why. To this day, I still have no idea."

Gaara was confused. Sasuke and he may not have liked each other their freshman year, but it was never like _this._ They competed, sure, but Sasuke would speak to him on a regular basis. He would touch him if the situation warranted it, get near enough to tease him. What had made Shikamaru's situation so different? He would have to ask Sasuke about it the next time he got the chance.

"Then what happened?" the redhead asked.

"Well…things got worse from there. My mother began asking too much of me and staring at me like I was some sort of repulsive beggar. One day, I walked in to class, sat down, and Sasuke was giving me with that same look. I just couldn't take it anymore. I decided to try one more time. I said, 'Why do you hate me so much? Was it something I did? Could we start over?' I held out my hand, hoping he would shake it, and we could just pretend that none of this ever happened. 'I'm Nara Shikamaru,' I said…" He stopped, auburn eyes staring intently at the ground.

"Shika?"

"He slapped my hand away and said, 'Get your filthy hands away from me, _bakemono_.' I…everything's a blank after that. I can't remember anything. Choji won't tell me what happened or what I was like. He…I think he's afraid I'll return to that state if I remember. After that, tensions with Sasuke were high; they still are. If he ever called me 'bakemono' or something of the like, I'd just…snap. There are a lot of times where I'd blackout, and suddenly, Ino and Choji would be prying me off him as I was strangling him or something." Shikamaru closed his eyes and sighed. "And that's why I hate him, Gaara."

Gaara could not believe what he was just told. That story made Sasuke and Shikamaru seem so…unlike themselves. There had do be something more. He would ask Choji and Sasuke for their sides of the story, but from just hearing Shikamaru's, it sounded as though the Nara had every right to hate Sasuke.

Gaara blinked as Shikamaru's hand squeezed his. He looked back to the genius who was smiling that fond smile again.

"But enough about me," Shikamaru continued. "You still haven't told me what happened."

Gaara could no longer find it in himself to decline Shikamaru's request. Shikamaru answered his question and told him something personal. It was time to return the favor. Still, Gaara stared into the floor, aqua pools unable to meet their auburn counterparts.

"Sasuke…he…" he trailed off. The genius frowned.

"Gaara," he called softly. The redhead took a deep breath.

"H-he said…he wants…I…you…" Again, he could not find the will to continue. With a sigh, Shikamaru lightly hugged the redhead.

"It's okay," he murmured. "You can tell me anything. I won't judge you." They were silent for a while as Gaara attempted to muster up the strength to speak.

"Shika?" The aforementioned nodded to show that he was listening. "Are you and Temari in love?" Shikamaru was confused by the sudden question but smiled nonetheless.

"I suppose so," he replied. His eyes widened though, as he felt a pang of hurt from Gaara. He gave Gaara a meaningful glance that the redhead did not seem to see.

"Is it nice to be with someone?" Gaara continued.

"Yeah," the Nara replied without a doubt.

"Even if you aren't in love?" The nature of these questions were very odd, but still, Shikamaru knew that Gaara needed his help. He considered the answers as best he could, trying to remember the pros and cons of his previous relationships.

"…Sometimes," he answered.

"Should I try going out with someone?" Shikamaru sighed.

"Give me the details," he whispered. Gaara paused thinking of the best way to describe the situation without revealing too much.

"Sasuke-kun likes Sakura," he explained, "but he feels like he's not good enough for her. He…said I'm in love with someone too…but I…I didn't even realize I was in love until he said it. But he's right, Shika; I am in love. I love this person so much sometimes it feels like I'm going to explode!"

"Yeah," the genius uttered, letting his eyes fall closed, "that sounds about right." Gaara let his head fall onto Shikamaru's shoulder. The latter simply rubbed his back in response. "There's something more," Shikamaru continued, expecting Gaara to fill in the blank. The redhead simply nodded.

"The person I love…they love someone else." Shikamaru nodded solemnly. "And Sasuke said since neither of us can have the one we want, we should just date each other."

Shikamaru grew quiet. He began gently stroking Gaara's bright red locks. "You've got it rough," he murmured before pausing for a moment more. "I hate Sasuke…and I probably always will, but this isn't about me; it's about you. _You_ like Sasuke a lot." Gaara nodded. "You think he's cute." Almost a question. Again, the redhead nodded. The Nara sighed exasperatedly. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but give it a shot. There's nothing to lose. If it makes you happy, that's great; if it doesn't, break up. It's no big deal, really." Shikamaru tried to overlook the bitter taste in his mouth in favor of enjoying the warm relief he felt from Gaara. "And when you're ready…tell me about this person you like; I'd like to know."

Gaara smiled sadly. _"You already do,"_ he thought. "Okay, I'll tell Sasuke-kun tomorrow," he decided aloud. Shikamaru could not help the odd jealousy that bubbled up from his core. Still, he had no right to stop Gaara. But if that were true, then why did the idea of Sasuke dating his favorite redhead hurt so much? It was more than just his hatred for the Uchiha, but if not that, then what could it be? Shikamaru sighed inwardly. Now was not the time for this. It was late, and he had one hell of a migraine.

"Gaara," he called. "Let's go back to sleep. Actually, your sister wants me to stop by her room…but I'll wait until you're asleep. Or I could get Kankuro to keep you company. Whatever you need." Gaara nodded with a small smile. Shikamaru tried to ignore the odd pain that he felt from the redhead.

"That's okay," the smaller of the two began. "Go ahead to Temari's room. I'll be okay. If I need anything I'll tell you." Shikamaru seemed skeptical. He doubted that the redhead would actually wake him if he needed something. Hell, he did not even wake him when he was going to throw up. Even so, he nodded. He felt another wave of pain from Gaara. He wanted to cry, and thus, so did the Nara. Still, he felt a dark, deep fear. Gaara's fear.

Abandonment.

The genius pulled Gaara into a powerful hug. "Gaara," he murmured. "I'm not going for long. I'm just in the other room. No one's leaving you. I'm just feeling a little sick. Once I get some rest, I'll come right back." Gaara nodded into the embrace, believing every word.

"Yes," was all that he could bring himself to say.

Then, with one last whispered, "See you soon," Shikamaru was gone.

The Nara headed to Temari's room, entering while trying to keep perfectly quiet. Temari stirred.

"Hey," she called sleepily. "I thought you were never gonna…" she trailed off as Shikamaru approached the bed, crying. They were silent but heart-wrenching tears. "Sh-Shikamaru?" He collapsed onto the bed, clinging tightly to Temari.

"I…I'm s-s-sorry," he managed shakily. "It's—it's emotional r-residue from Gaara. Usually I-I can con-contain it, but—but they j-just won't s-stop!" Temari nodded compassionately, forgoing her usual "playful" persona for the more comforting, "motherly" one. She rubbed his back.

"It's okay," she murmured. She sighed as her hand brushed past his neck, "You're feverish too. God, it really took a lot out of you this time." The Nara simply nodded. Temari helped him to lie down. "You need to sleep."

"Yeah," he managed.

He did not sleep well, falling into an overheated, nightmare-ridden daze. At least Temari was there to help him through it.

Meanwhile, Gaara snuck up to his "studio."

For the rest of the night, all that Gaara did was draw a meticulous and beautiful charcoal portrait of Shikamaru. He was desperate and despairing, but Shikamaru was ethereal on paper.

He cried, and as he did, so too did Shikamaru in his fever-dreams.

Shikamaru had never before had a strong enough empathic encounter to leave so much residual connection and emotion, but Gaara always did have a way of defying all standards.

No one slept peacefully that night, and Shikamaru would never wish his nightmares on anyone, even his worst enemies.

***And so ends part 9 of Neighborhood 1. What'd you guys think? It was pretty depressing, in my opinion, but I rather liked it. Well, until next time! Hopefully it'll be less than 6 FUCKING MONTHS before I update again!**


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